Bengal floods: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi, says 5 million people affected

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention into the flood-situation in south Bengal while accusing the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of triggering the “man-made” disaster.

The letter stated that this is the biggest flood West Bengal has been facing in the lower Damodar valley since 2009. The flood has affected more than 1,000 sq km area and nearly five million people have been hit.

“As a result of unprecedented, unplanned and unilateral release of an enormously huge volume of water at the rate of nearly 500,000 cusecs from the combined system of Maithon and Panchet dams owned and maintained by DVC all districts of south Bengal have been plunged into devastating floods causing miseries to the common people,” Banerjee wrote.

She visited some of the flood-hit areas in Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore on Wednesday and Thursday. The West Bengal – Jharkhand border has been sealed for three days since Thursday because of the flood. Thousands of trucks have got stranded.

“We have decided to seal the Bengal - Jharkhand border for three days. Several areas are inundated, and vehicles may get washed away. I don’t want that. I am also going to snap all ties with the DVC,” Banerjee had told reporters during a visit to the flood-hit areas on Thursday.

A deep depression triggered heavy rains in the districts of south Bengal earlier this week. As the system moved to Jharkhand triggering more rains in the neighbouring state, the DVC started releasing huge amounts of water, triggering the flood.

Large areas in the districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, West Burdwan and East Burdwan have been inundated.

Calling it a “man-made” flood, Banerjee that as several rivers were flowing above the danger-level mark after the heavy rains, the DVC was requested to defer the release of water.

“I also spoke with the chairman of DVC on the night of September 16. In spite of all these, combined dam release was increased in quick successions in the early hours of September 17 from 90,000 cusecs to 250,000 cusecs in just nine hours,” she wrote.

Banerjee also alleged that the Centre and the DVC didn’t take any step for dredging and desilting the DVC reservoirs despite the issue being raised with the Centre on various platforms such as the Eastern Zonal Council meeting and the NITI Aayog meeting.

“I earnestly request that you give this matter serious consideration and direct the concerned ministries to address these issues as top priority, including the sanction and release of substantial central funds to undertake extensive flood management works in the interest of the people, who suffer the most,” the letter said.

The Union Jal Shakti ministry on Thursday had issued a statement saying that water was released on the advice of the DVC Regulation Committee (DVRRC), which has representatives from governments of West Bengal and Jharkhand, the Central Water Commission and DVC.

“All protocols of informing the concerned authorities before the release, were followed. Every possible effort was made to avert synchronisation of dam releases,” said the statement.

The BJP mounted attack on the TMC over the chief minister’s statement that she would snap all ties with the DVC.

“Did she even understand the consequences before shooting off the mouth? Does Mamata feel that West Bengal is a separate country? How does she plan to generate the 4300MW shortage if she snaps ties with the DVC? Or is she planning to take Bengal back to the dark ages?” Suvendu Adhikari, BJP legislator and leader of the Opposition in the state legislative assembly, wrote on X.