Farakka/Kolkata: A damaged lock-gate of the Farakka Barrage across the Ganges river near the Indo-Bangla border has been washed away following which authorities have diverted excess water to a feeder canal and towards Bangladesh.
"Gate number 49 has been washed away. It was already damaged and officials were about to replace it when it collapsed last evening," Murshidabad District Magistrate Y Ratnakar Rao told PTI.
He said the a new gate has already arrived and would be put up soon.
The DM claimed that there would be no change in the water level of the river due to the collapse.
"I have been informed by the project manager that there is no change in the water level. They are diverting half of the excess water to the feeder canal and the rest to Bangladesh side," Rao said.
Jangipur SDO Priyanka Singhla said efforts were on to start repair work immediately.
The barrage is located 17 kilometres from the Bangladesh border.
The barrage has 109 gates of which 108 are over the river and the 109th one over low-lying land in Malda.
