Latest news with #DVC
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
DVC releasing water to save itself, flooding Bengal: CM
Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was releasing water to save itself while causing floods in Bengal. "DVC released nearly 27,000 lakh cubic metres of water. Despite repeated requests, they refuse to make repairs and instead release water to save themselves, causing Bengal to flood," she said. The comments came at a meeting at Nabanna to discuss the flood situation in the state. The CM lamented that the situation hadn't improved despite state govt's all-round efforts. "I have been fighting for 14 years, and several state teams, including those from the irrigation department, visited (central authorities) repeatedly. I personally wrote to the Prime Minister and mentioned it in NITI Aayog and eastern zonal council meetings. But nothing was done." Banerjee alleged Centre doesn't help even in relief work, adding, "Assam receives flood-relief funds but Bengal only gets floods." "They release water and flood the people but don't even provide money to buy a piece of cloth. We have to do everything ourselves," she alleged. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata To address the flood situation, the CM told 10 district administrations, especially West Midnapore, Jhargram, Hooghly and Howrah, to stay alert. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo She ordered the rapid establishment of relief camps in low-lying areas and told DMs, SPs, BDOs and ICs to ensure food, medicines and clean drinking water are in abundance. A control room will be set up which the CM will personally supervise. "We are conducting regular surveillance. Relief camps should remain operational until the situation normalises. I have also instructed (officials) to ensure anti-venom medicines are stocked in flooded areas and relief camps," she said. Addressing officials, the CM said, "Even if people are in trouble, they may not be able to express it openly but as representatives of govt, you must reach out to them and extend a helping hand. Ensure that not a single person is deprived of govt assistance during this disaster." Banerjee also appealed to political parties for cooperation. "Remember, the flood situation is due to release of water by DVC. Our workers will work round-the-clock to manage this disaster," she said.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Fighting every year, but to no avail': Mamata Banerjee blames Centre, DVC for flooding in Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Central government and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), holding them responsible for the flood-like situation in parts of the state. Addressing a press conference at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Banerjee blamed the DVC for releasing a staggering 27,000 lakh cubic metres of water since June 18. 'All departments are present here today. Monsoon arrived a little early this year. People are suffering because of this (release of water). Bengal is a riverine state, which is why we suffer the most,' she said. The problem persists despite the state's efforts, including digging 5.5 lakh ponds and building 500 check dams, the CM maintained. 'Be it Panchet or Maithon (dams in Jharkhand), or DVC, none of them is listening to us. We have also asked the Centre to begin desilting which can help hold 4 lakh metric cusecs (of water),' the CM claimed. 'It is very unfortunate. First there is rain and then 27,000 lakh cubic metres of water was released. Despite repeated appeals to the Centre, the DVC is not cooperating with us. No one is bothered about their accountability,' she added. Accusing the Centre of inaction despite repeated pleas, she said, 'We have been fighting for years, but to no avail. My team and departments have held meetings. I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. We raised this in the Eastern Zonal meeting, but they are not paying any heed. They simply release water here. That is all. After all this, they talk about votes… The work should be for voters, for public service. But they are serving themselves,' she said. The Chief Minister issued directives to administration officers, including district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs), to identify low-lying areas, kutcha houses and areas with more water bodies. She called for immediate announcements to evacuate residents from low-lying areas to relief centers or nearby government buildings, ensuring continuous relief efforts. She also stressed the importance of sufficient anti-venom in flood-prone areas. She said Paschim Medinipur (Ghatal and Keshpur), Jhargram, Purba Medinipur, Bankura, Howrah (Uluberia), and Hooghly (Khanakul, Kamarpukur, and Joyrambati) were affected by floods. In North Bengal, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Malda, and Murshidabad are also experiencing water accumulation, she added. She instructed the Chief Secretary to send teams of principal secretaries or other secretaries to flood-prone areas, forming three-member teams to camp there for seven days for close monitoring. She urged the ministers to cooperate with DMs, BDOs, and the police during this crisis. 'They should monitor closely. We have many programmes, including the one on July 21, but we must ensure that people do not face problems. This is not the time to say who got more and who got less. I will not listen to excuses or any complaints ,' she said. The Chief Minister also addressed the issue of housing, stating 12 lakh 'Banglar Bari' houses have been provided despite a lack of Central funds, with the remaining 16 lakh to be given in phases. She directed the Panchayati Raj Department and police to prevent heavy vehicles from plying on rural roads and called for the postponement of classes in submerged schools, suggesting online classes where possible. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
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Business Standard
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Mamata blames DVC water release for Bengal floods, cites Centre's neglect
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.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
H'bag's Charwa dam opens 2 sluice gates
1 2 Hazaribag: Two out of the four sluice gates of Charwa Dam reservoir, which supplies drinking water to three lakh consumers in Hazaribag town and adjoining villages, have been opened to release excess water caused due to heavy rain since the onset of monsoon, officials said on Sunday. Charwa Dam has 31 feet of storage capacity, but when it this reaches 25 feet, the administration opens the gate to release excess water. This was the first time in the last 50 years that the sluice gates had to be opened at this time of the year. Arun Bauri, urban infrastructure expert of the Hazaribag Municipal Corporation, said that as a precautionary measure, the dam's sluice gates has been opened to release extra water. "Till mid June, the water level of the dam was 16 feet," he said. The dam, built by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), is spread across 200 acres. From June 17 until now, Hazaribag received more than 800 mm of rainfall against the normal of 112 mm in June and 357 mm in July. Meanwhile, the excessive rainfall has also destroyed the sowing of crops such as maize, oilseed, and vegetables, in the region. The target for kharif sowing this year has been 84,000 hectares in Hazaribag, but despite good rainfall, the transplantation of paddy has been low because the seedlings have gone under the water. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Power crisis also continues to cripple life in Hazaribag district due to the downpour as people are battling blackouts for 12 to 16 hours daily. According to a spokesman of the JBVNL, the DVC is currently providing 11 megawatts of electricity during peak hours, meeting the power requirements of the town and district at that time. He said this too has been hampered by the damage of large number of transformers in various localities. Due to persistent rainfall, restoring power connection usually gets delayed.
The Print
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
DVC inks long-term pact to supply 300 MW power to Karnataka DISCOMs
The pact was signed at the headquarters of Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) and marks an expansion of DVC's existing supply of 450 MW to the southern state. The power will be sourced from DVC's upcoming Koderma Thermal Power Station Phase-II (2×800 MW), currently under development. The agreement is aimed at meeting Karnataka's growing energy demand with reliable and affordable thermal power. Kolkata, Jun 30 (PTI) Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on Monday signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to supply 300 MW of round-the-clock thermal power to Karnataka's five electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), an official said. The PPA was signed between DVC-PCKL and the five DISCOMs. 'This agreement highlights DVC's capability to deliver dependable power beyond its core region and reinforces our commitment to sustainable energy solutions across India,' said DVC Member (Finance), Arup Sarkar. PCKL Managing Director Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar said the agreement would ensure consistent power supply at competitive rates. With this PPA, DVC has completed agreements for all three of its upcoming projects – Koderma Phase-II, Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) Phase-II, and DVC's other expansion projects – totalling 3,720 MW of new generation capacity. PTI BSM NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
