KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to address “structural and managerial issues” behind “repeated man-made floods” in south Bengal due to “uncontrolled and unplanned” discharge by Damodar Valley Corporation from its Maithon and Panchet dams.
Banerjee pointed out that the state was compensating flood victims out of its “meagre resource” without any support from National Disaster Relief Fund.
In her four-page letter, the CM sought the PM’s intervention to make the Union ministry concerned engage with the governments of West Bengal and Jharkhand and DVC and draw up “short and long term plans” aimed at a “permanent solution” to second-time floods during monsoon.
This has resulted in a deluge within three to four months in as many as eight districts of south Bengal, where lakhs are marooned in the festival season.
Banerjee gave a detailed timeline of the discharge from September 30 to October 2, adding that the total discharge was 2.40 lakh cusecs, far above the maximum carrying capacity (95,000 cusecs) of the Damodar river.
She also mentioned that simultaneous discharge from the Sikatiya barrage in Jharkhand during this period led to deluge of areas flanking the Ajay river.
“DVC, conceived as a multi-state public organization, has completely failed to scientifically regulate the inter-state flow and discharge into Damodar and take corrective measures to either increase the water holding capacity of its dams or maintain and upgrade its existing infrastructure by way of de-siltation and dredging of the dams,” the CM said in the letter.
Banerjee also mentioned raising the issue with the PM on August 4. “I am sorry to say that my earlier letter to you has not yet been responded to by the Government of India… I request that the GOI should get into some serious action without further delay,” she said.
The CM reminded that a delegation of ministers and MPs from Bengal had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Union minister of Jal Shakti and Niti Aayog as a follow-up measure during the last Parliament session.
Banerjee pointed out to the PM that people in south Bengal were bearing the brunt of “grave man-made flood” situation “repeatedly, pitifully and tragically”. “The West Bengal government has to pay for the inadequacy and structural deficiency of the DVC management,” she added.
