Body taken on banana raft to Ghatal cremation amid floods, sparks political row

A photograph from Ghatal in West Midnapore showing a woman’s body being taken to the cremation ground on a raft made of banana stems has led to sharp political reactions. The incident took place in Ward 9 of Ghatal Municipality, where the family of the deceased, Mansa Chowdhury, used a makeshift raft due to severe waterlogging and the absence of accessible roads. Chowdhury, the wife of late councillor Kanhaiyalal Chowdhury, died around 12:30 AM on Sunday.

According to locals, the cremation ground lies on the other side of the village, which has been submerged due to ongoing floods. With no vehicle able to access the route, the family was compelled to transport the body manually over waterlogged stretches. This situation arose amid repeated seasonal flooding in Ghatal, which has long demanded sustainable flood management and better civic infrastructure.

BJP MLA Sheetal Kapat criticised the administration and raised questions about long-pending development projects in the area. He said, “Ghatal mein varshon pehle electric chulha banane ka yojna bani thi, lekin aaj tak kaam pura nahi hua. Municipality ne vikas ke naam par kya kiya? Chairman kya kar rahe hain? Master plan ke naam par karodon rupaye ki loot ho rahi hai.”

TMC’s Ghatal organisational district president Ajit Maiti responded, stating that the body was transported following traditional practices. He said, “Shav ko paramparik reetiyon ka paalan karte hue kele ke tano ki bhela par le jaya gaya. Yeh ek purani parampara ho sakti hai.” Residents have continued to raise concerns over accessibility to essential services during floods and the failure to implement long-term flood relief and urban development plans.