Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the overall flood situation in the state, blaming it on the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
For the last few days, Banerjee has put the onus on the unbridled release of water by DVC. She alleged that DVC has continuously released water from various reservoirs ignoring the state's situation resulting which, many districts of south Bengal have already been inundated amid the ongoing rainfall. Also, she had called it a 'man-made' flood, pointing fingers at the DVC.
Now, the Chief Minister has written a letter to the Prime Minister on this issue and criticised DVC's role. She alleged that DVC has released water without keeping the state in the loop.
She wrote that DVC has already released 5 lakh cusecs of water from various dams under its jurisdiction and because of that, flood-like situation has been created in Purba Burdwan, Pachim Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, Hooghly, Howrah, Purba Midnapore, Paschim Midnapore of South Bengal.
In her letter, CM also reminded that the DVC's role has put a large number of people in the state in dire straits. According to her, DVC has never released such a large amount of water in the recent past. She said that after 2009, major flood situation has arisen again in the state due to this.
Already 1000 kilometres of land is reeling under water due to the flood and around five million people have been affected. Also, several houses to farmlands along with livestock have been hit.
She said that the state government is trying to do its best and relief materials and aid are already being ferried to the affected people.
In her four-page letter, the Trinamool Congress supremo expressed her anger against the DVC. The CM, who has been touring the flood-affected areas for the last two days, said it is time to think whether the state should maintain its relationship with DVC in the future or not.
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