Bengal Minister calls for master plan for dredging rivers

Kolkata, July 17 (UNI) West Bengal Relief Minister Murtaza Hussain today called for preparing a master plan for dredging of rivers in West Bengal to check recurring floods.

Mr Hussain, who recently visited the flood-hit Birbhum and Murshidabad districts, told reporters that he would talk to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to take up the issue with the Centre.

'' It was not only heavy rain or release of water from dams, but also lack of dredging of rivers that is causing floods in the state.

Both the Centre and the state should take initiative for preparing a master plan on how to check this,'' he told reporters.

The Minister said no fresh deaths had been reported in the ongoing flood which claimed six lives. The state Government had sent relief materials worth Rs. 4.20 crore to the affected areas, he said.

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