Mamata blames DVC water release for Bengal floods, cites Centre's neglect

Business Standard

a day ago

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 9 slammed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for discharging huge volumes of water from its reservoirs, which she said has caused widespread flooding across parts of the state, and accused the Centre of not doing enough dredging downstream to accommodate the extra water.
The DVC has released around 27,000 lakh cubic metres of water into West Bengal's rivers since June 18, she claimed, according to a report by the Press Trust of India.
Appeals to DVC ignored: West Bengal CM
Mamata accused the DVC of ignoring repeated appeals from her government to consult the state before releasing such large volumes of water, especially during peak monsoon season when downstream areas are already vulnerable.
'I am sorry to inform you that the DVC is releasing water in a sustained manner from its reservoirs, including those at Maithon and Panchet. They are doing this to save themselves without caring for the consequences our state is suffering on account of their actions. We have been fighting this menace for the last 14 years without any positive result,' said Banerjee during a high-level meeting at the state secretariat to review the flood situation.
Flooding in low-lying areas despite infra
Despite the creation of more than 500,000 ponds and 500 check dams under a World Bank-supported project to manage rainwater, several areas in south Bengal, including the flood-prone Ghatal block in Paschim Medinipur, have been repeatedly inundated this season.
'We have sent multiple teams in the past to address the issue; our irrigation department has repeatedly raised concerns, and I have written to the PM about this. We raised the matter at meetings of the eastern regional council as well as the Niti Aayog. But all our appeals seem to have fallen on deaf ears,' said Banerjee.
Centre accused of neglect, inequity
The CM blamed the central government for not dredging Bengal's downstream rivers, which she claimed could have created capacity for an additional 400,000 cubic metres of water. She alleged that the Centre has failed in its responsibility towards Bengal.
'States like Assam, unlike Bengal, receive central grants to tackle floods. For Bengal, their responsibility ends after releasing water and flooding our lands,' she said.
Instructions for relief and rescue operations
Banerjee directed district officials and the police to evacuate residents from low-lying, vulnerable areas and shift them to safe shelters. She assured that funds for relief materials would not be an issue.
'We already have flood shelters in some areas. We must build temporary shelters in areas where we don't and move people there. There will be no dearth of funds for relief materials,' she said.
She also asked the health department to stock essential medicines, including anti-venom for snake bites, and instructed the power department to launch safety awareness drives about avoiding electric poles during rain.
She further directed the district administration to set up control rooms for round-the-clock flood monitoring and ensure constant coordination with the state chief secretary in case of emergencies.
Long-term flood mitigation, housing plans
Banerjee said that work on the Ghatal Master Plan has already begun and is expected to be completed within two years.
'We have already started implementing the Ghatal Master Plan and we plan to complete it in the next two years. That will provide relief to a few lakh people from the recurring floods in that area,' she said.
On the housing front, she spoke about expanding the rural housing initiative Banglar Bari. The state plans to build another 2.8 million homes by May next year, in addition to the 4.7 million already constructed with partial funding from the Centre.
'We will release funds for 1.2 million houses in December this year and for another 1.6 million houses by May next year. We will keep releasing funds in phases and plan to finish the project for the entire state in the next three to four years,' she added.