Malda, 08 September 2026: The 150 year old Shiva temple situated on the banks of river Ganga at Ratua in Malda (West Bengal) had collapsed due to severe flood conditions and erosion of the river banks. Experts have warned that the water level will continue to rise due to the influx of large amounts of water from Bihar.
The only local hospital on Bhootni Island, the worst affected area of Manikchak block, had to be closed and primary medical services were shifted to the Panchayat office. Pregnant women have been shifted to two school buildings in Manikchak.
many areas affected
Apart from Manikchak and Ratua, the English market has also been affected; In Khaskol, large areas of land and Ambani Wadi have been destroyed due to erosion of the river banks. The administration is carrying out relief operations on war footing and state ministers are present at the spot. At least 62 villages under three panchayats as well as the local police station are submerged in water.
The temple was already in danger
The temple located at Ratuana Muniramtola was under the threat of erosion since last year, but it survived due to makeshift protection measures. Alok Mandale, a local school teacher, recalled, “In my childhood, the river was about 15 kilometers away from the temple. It was very popular among devotees and the weekly market held there attracted thousands of people, including people from the neighboring state of Bihar.”
Due to rising water level, a large part of the river bank was washed away on Saturday and by Sunday evening the river had swallowed the entire temple. On the night of 2 September, the situation in Bhutan had deteriorated due to the breach in the pier and the island being submerged in water.
Local MLA Gaur Mandale had criticized the collapse of this bridge, built in 2025 at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore. He had alleged poor quality of construction and held the previous TMC government responsible for the failure of this infrastructure.
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