West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, announcing the state’s decision to sever ties with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) due to what she described as "unilateral water releases" that caused flooding in South Bengal.
In her four-page letter, Banerjee stated that five million people have been affected by the floods and requested immediate central funds to assist with the widespread devastation.
Banerjee detailed the impact of the "unprecedented, unplanned, and unilateral" release of nearly 500,000 cusecs of water from the Maithon and Panchet dams, resulting in severe hardships across South Bengal.
"If this unilateral approach continues, we will be left with no option but to disengage entirely from DVC," she warned, citing ongoing injustices to her constituents.
The flood-hit districts include Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur. Banerjee described the current flooding as the worst since 2009, affecting over 1,000 square kilometres and causing significant damage to crops, infrastructure, and homes. "I am compelled to call it a man-made flood," she asserted.
Banerjee highlighted that state officials had previously informed DVC about the critical condition of downstream rivers, which were already at or above extreme danger levels, and requested a delay in water releases.
She noted that the combined discharge was abruptly increased from 90,000 cusecs to 250,000 cusecs within nine hours on September 17, leading to a total discharge equivalent to 831,000 acre-feet in just three days.
In her letter, she called for urgent dredging and desilting of DVC reservoirs to restore their floodwater holding capacity, pointing out that this issue has been raised repeatedly over the past decade without substantial action from the central government.
Banerjee expressed concern that DVC seems to have shifted its focus from flood control to power generation, neglecting its social obligations to the people of West Bengal.
She urged the Prime Minister to prioritise these issues, including the sanction and release of significant central funds for flood management efforts. "Relief operations are already in full swing," Banerjee stated, noting her personal tours of the affected areas to assess the situation firsthand.
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