TAMLUK: Irrigation engineers have run into trouble while attempting to repair the breached river embankments in the flood-affected areas of Midnapore East district due to the non-availability of soil. The flood conditions at a few blocks in this district continue to remain grim because of this. "Our engineers are striving hard to repair the damaged embankments of Keleghai, Kapaleswari and Baghai rivers as there is no availability of adequate earth at nearby places of the flood-ravaged areas of Patashpur-I and II, Bhagawanpur-I and II and Chandipur blocks. By this reason, the repair work of embankments is being delayed and waters are continuously flowing through these breached embankments,' said Mr Subhash Naskar, state irrigation minister. "In two Midnapore districts, rivers have breached their embankments over 100 points. If these are not repaired timely, the flood situation will be unaltered for 15 more days. So, our officials are requesting the local residents of neighbouring villages to allow us to dig earth from their comparatively high lands'. Mr Naskar came here on Wednesday to attend a flood-related emergency meeting with the senior administrative officials and the legislative members of the affected areas. No Trinamul Congress MLAs attended the meeting. Mr Naskar said: "In the meeting, we mainly discussed the irrigation-related problems. We are worried because of the heavy-rain warning for Jharkhand that might again raise the water level in the Subarnarekha and lead to a heavy discharge from the Galudih barrage. Though, we have no information of water release from reservoirs. Our department has regular contact with its counterpart in Jharkhand and we are keeping watch on them regarding the discharge from reservoirs. Earlier, they had released four lakh cusec waters from their reservoirs without intimating us regarding this matter, which has caused major devastation in our areas. MLAs who attended the meeting have taken a decision unanimously that a regular liaison should be maintained between the state and the Centre on every matter of natural disasters. They also suggested that before going to take any development works in the rural belts, the state government will have to receive permission from the irrigation department'. Conceding the fact that the work related to drainage of the basins and canals undertaken by the irrigation department in Midnapore East district was not satisfactory in the previous years, Mr Naskar said: "We have decided that most of the work related to the drainage of the basins and canals in the district will be taken on war-footing measures soon after the waters will recede from the areas'. On the other hand, the Trinamul Congress MLA from Egra, Mr Sisir Adhikary alleged: "We were not invited to the meeting by the district administration. I think that this type of meeting is nothing but a drama to cheat the people'. Replying to this comment, Mr Naskar said: "His son Mr Subhendu Adhikary had called me when I was in the meeting. My secretary received the call where he said he will talk with me in the assembly regarding this matter'.