New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Damodar Valley Corporation released 5 lakh cusecs of water, leading to flooding in the state.
“I would like to draw your kind attention to the fact that as a result of an unprecedented, unplanned and unilateral release of an enormously huge volume of water at nearly 5 lakh cusec from the combined system of Maithon and Panchat dams owned and maintained by the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation), all districts of South Bengal viz Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipore and Padchim Medinipore have been plunged into devastating floods causing severe miseries to the common people,” Mamata Banerjee wrote in the letter.
She said that West Bengal is experiencing the worst flood in the Lower Damodar and surrounding regions since 2009. The chief minister said that over 1,000 square kilometres have been impacted. She further said that nearly five million people have been “pulled into the vortex of suffering” due to crop destruction, damage to public infrastructure, homes and livestock.
Mamata slams DVC for ‘man-made disaster’
Mamata Banerjee blamed the floods on the “unplanned and uncoordinated release of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) system,” referring to it as a “man-made flood” resulting from negligence. In her letter, the West Bengal Chief Minister criticised the Damodar Valley Corporation for prioritising power generation over flood control, which she claimed has negatively impacted West Bengal. Banerjee also expressed concern over the lack of progress on the Ghatal Master Plan, leaving the region susceptible to floods.
The chief minister said that if the “unilateral approach continues,” her government will “disengage” completely from the Damodar Valley Corporation and withdraw West Bengal’s participation.“We cannot allow this ongoing injustice to affect our people year after year,” Mamata Banerjee wrote in her letter to PM Modi.
BJP responds
Responding the Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari saying, “If Mamata Banerjee severs ties with the DVC, eight districts will lose power. Is she unaware that DVC-operated power plants provide electricity to a substantial part of South Bengal?”