In the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal, the recurring floods have become a central issue in the upcoming elections. The region, located approximately 120 kilometers from Kolkata, is part of the Purba Medinipur district and suffers annual flooding due to its position in the lower catchment area of the Shilabati river. The residents of Ghatal, having endured decades of unkept promises by various political leaders, have grown weary. The flood problem remains unsolved, leading to a unique local adaptation: nearly every household owns a boat to navigate the submerged streets post-monsoon.


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Niranjan Hazra, a local from Argora, expressed his anger while speaking to news agency PTI, "I grew up seeing Ghatal under water. Nothing changed in the last 28 years. I do not think it will ever change. Elections come and go, netas make promises which fall flat after the polling is over and the issue goes into oblivion."


This year's election has an added layer of glamour and intrigue as two beloved figures from the Bengali film industry, Dev aka Deepak Adhikary and Hiran aka Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay, contest the Ghatal Lok Sabha seat. Dev, the incumbent TMC MP, is campaigning for re-election, while the BJP has fielded Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay, the MLA of Kharagpur, as his opponent.


Dev, optimistic about his re-election, stated, "I hope to continue the good work for the people of Ghatal. I wish to make the Ghatal model successful." He also acknowledged the significance of the Ghatal Master Plan, "This is definitely a raging issue... And to implement it, if I have to take a rebirth, I will do that."


Chattopadhyay, on the other hand, criticized Dev's tenure, "He himself is saying that he needs a rebirth to do the work which he could not do in 10 years... the money given by the Centre has been embezzled by creating fake job cards."


The BJP candidate has made bold promises, including improved railway services, transforming Ghatal into a 'Gold hub', and, crucially, implementing the 'Ghatal Master Plan' to finally address the flood problem.


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also pledged her support for the Ghatal Master Plan, announcing in February that her government would undertake the project without central assistance. The plan, with a budget of Rs 1,250 crore, aims to benefit 17 lakh people.


The Ghatal sub-division, comprising five municipalities and five community development blocks, is frequently inundated, with floodwaters persisting for months. The devastating floods of August 2021, which breached numerous embankments, underscored the urgency of the situation.


The 'Ghatal Master Plan', originally approved in 1979 by the Left Front government, is yet to be implemented, leaving the residents of Ghatal in a state of perpetual anticipation.