Land dispute resolved, Bhutni Ring embankment work to resume

The long-standing land dispute that had stalled the construction of a vital ring embankment in Bhutni's Kalutontola area has finally been resolved, following assurances of compensation from the administration.

- AVIJIT ROY

MALDA:

Landowners had strongly opposed the construction of the embankment through their rayati land, demanding either compensation or formal land acquisition notices. Their resistance had brought the Rs 6.5 crore irrigation project to a standstill, jeopardising flood protection efforts in the vulnerable Kesharpur and Bhutni regions. In the last two monsoons, several hundred meters of the Ganga River embankment in the area were washed away, leaving large parts of Bhutni exposed to flood risks.