Gandhi of Arambagh remembered as the saviour of flood-affected

Ata time when districts in North Bengal are reeling in the aftermath of heavy rains, raging rivers and extensive inundation, and relief and reconstruction work have become a prime necessity, the people of Arambagh in South Bengal's Hooghly district recall the remarkable contribution of a young teacher, who sacrificed a lot to alleviate the misery and suffering of flood-ravaged villagers over a hundred years ago.

- HEMANTJACOB

Arambagh Sub-Division even today faces the wrath of rivers in spate during the monsoon. The Dwarkeswar, Mundeshwari and the Damodar rivers, that run through the region, overflow their banks during the rainy season, spoiling paddy and other crops and causing great loss to property, livestock and even lives at times. Nearly every year, the subdivision in Hooghly district suffers flood-like situations due to incessant heavy rainfall and the release of huge volumes of water by the DVC from its barrages. The state administration, on most occasions, promptly carries out rescue and relief operations, stemming misery toa great extent.

But there have been years when the measures were not enough or nonexistent. The flood of 1922 brought great hardships to the people of Arambagh. Life came to a standstill, and the flood-affected somehow passed days without any relief. In such circumstances, a letter from Dongal reached Prafulla Chandra Sen, a young teacher at Hooghly Vidyamandir School. The letter briefly stated: "Arambagh is under water, people are homeless, send help."