Alipurduar, Feb. 2 -- The Torsa River, one of North Bengal's major waterways, is facing severe pollution at the very point where it enters India from Bhutan, raising serious environmental and public health concerns. Large quantities of solid and liquid waste from Jaigaon Gram Panchayats 1 and 2 are reportedly being dumped into the river and the banks at the Guabari area of Jaigaon, a town on the India-Bhutan border in the Alipurduar district. Residents seek the Chief Minister's intervention as the crisis deepens.
Jaigaon, the only cosmopolitan town in the district, is home to over one lakh residents from diverse communities. However, the absence of a proper solid waste management system has turned the hill river into a dumping ground. Originating in Tibet's Chumbi Valley, flowing through Bhutan and entering India at Jaigaon, the Torsa plays a crucial role in sustaining ecosystems, including the Jaldapara National Park. Ironically, it is being polluted at the gateway to India.
The issue came into the spotlight after Jaigaon-based blogger Rock Lama shared videos of the polluted river on social media. The visuals quickly went viral. In the video, Lama, identifying himself as a local resident, appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee to take urgent action to save the river and protect residents from the worsening environmental crisis.
Following public outrage, the Jaigaon Development Authority (JDA), responsible for development activities in the town and along the Torsa river basin, swung into action. However, questions are now being raised over administrative negligence that allowed the situation to deteriorate so drastically. Residents say pollution levels have crossed safe limits, creating unbearable living conditions. "A foul, rotten stench hangs in the air all day. People are frequently falling ill. When we protest against garbage dumping, we are threatened. Whom do we turn to?" said local resident Abul Hasan.
JDA Chairman Ganga Prasad Sharma said dumping has been stopped after the matter came to notice. "A voluntary organisation entrusted with garbage disposal was dumping waste at the site without our knowledge. This has now been halted," he said.
Sharma added that a proposed dumping ground and solid waste management facility were washed away during last year's flash floods. "We have requested the state government for a full-fledged project, but lack of funds has delayed implementation," he said. The controversy has also reignited demands to upgrade Jaigaon-despite a population exceeding 60,000-into a municipality. With Assembly elections approaching, the BJP is expected to make the issue a major poll plank in Kalchini constituency. BJP MLA Bishal Lama said, "The absence of a solid waste management system has devastated the Torsa River's ecosystem."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.