DVC ignored requests, caused floods: Mamata Banerjee in second letter to PM Modi

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Damodar Valley Corporation of causing the recent floods in south Bengal and stating that her government is withdrawing its representatives from the corporation’s board.

Reiterating that DVC released excessive water from its dams in Jharkhand ignoring repeated requests from the Bengal government, Banerjee wrote: “Unfortunately, our requests were not adhered to and there was also a significant time lag between our requests and its implementation (ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 hours). This delay worsened the situation, causing substantial damage to our state.”

Jharkhand witnessed excessive rainfall earlier this week, causing water level in the DVC dams to rise.

In the four-page letter, part of which she shared on social media, Banerjee wrote: “Additionally, it is my understanding that the peak discharge of 2.5 lakh cusecs could have been avoided. Evidence suggests that the Mython and Panchet reservoirs were not allowed to encroach beyond their maximum flood management levels (MFML) - 495 ft for Mython and 425 ft for Panchet - this time. For example, during a previous incident on August 1, 2021, Panchet reached 430.61 ft, well above its MFML, while this time it only reached 425.12 ft.”

“Mython did not even reach its MFML, peaking at 494.42 ft. Had the reservoirs been allowed to encroach beyond their MFML, the peak discharge could have been moderated, potentially minimizing the impact on south Bengal,” the letter said.

In the first letter Banerjee wrote to PM Modi on September 20, she sought his intervention and accused DVC of triggering a “man-made” disaster. The letter said Bengal is facing the biggest flood in the lower Damodar basin since 2009 and more than five million people have been affected.

Responding to this letter, Union jal shakti minister CR Patil said Bengal government officials were informed at every stage about the discharge of water from DVC’s reservoirs, which, he said, was done only to prevent a major disaster.

On Sunday, Banerjee wrote: “I believe the Union minister’s statement that all efforts were made to minimize flooding is not entirely accurate. It appears the dam managers failed to properly assess inflows and adjust outflows in advance of the flood. Furthermore, I have been informed that there are ongoing maintenance issues at DVC dams, specifically the repair of five under sluice gates and one hydel gate at Panchet, which remain unresolved.”

“As a protest against this apparent disregard for West Bengal’s concerns and the lack of cooperation regarding flood moderation, my government is withdrawing its representation from the DVRRC immediately,” she wrote.

Bengal power secretary Shantanu Basu and a chief engineer from the department quit the DVRRC (Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee) on Sunday afternoon, state officials said.

In her letter, Banerjee also raised financial issues and said Central assistance was irregular and inadequate.

“In conclusion, the delays in receiving Central assistance and the prolonged appraisal process are undermining the urgency of flood management in a scientific and comprehensive manner. The budgetary allocation of ₹449.57 crore for FMBAP (Flood Management and Border Areas Programme) in the 2024-25 fiscal year is insufficient, thereby confirming that flood management is not a priority area for the Central government,” she wrote.

Since September 20, when Banerjee ordered a three-day ban on movement of commercial vehicles between Bengal and Jharkhand to mark her protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dismissed her allegations. Its leaders said the state never made any attempt to build new canals and desilt old ones although floods caused due to release of water from dams in the upper Damodar basin are a regular phenomenon.

Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya on Sunday said: “Mamata Banerjee has failed to set up an effective administration. Blaming the Centre for any and every incident has become her hallmark.”