West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticized the Jharkhand government, alleging that the flooding situation in her state has worsened due to the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) releasing excess water from its dams to protect Jharkhand. In response, she announced the closure of the Bengal-Jharkhand border for three days.
Banerjee accused the DVC of causing "man-made" floods in West Bengal and threatened to sever all ties with the corporation. She criticized the DVC for failing to conduct necessary dredging at its dams, resulting in increased water releases that have flooded several districts in West Bengal.
To assess the situation, she visited flood-affected areas in Panskura, Purba Medinipur district, and Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district. "This is not just rainwater; it's water released by DVC. This man-made flood is unfortunate. The central government needs to address the reduced water storage capacity at DVC dams, which has decreased by 36 percent," she stated, emphasizing that a larger conspiracy may be at play.
Banerjee explained that the DVC's actions—releasing 5.5 lakh cusecs of water—have significantly contributed to the flooding. "While there was rain for a few days, we could have managed it with our existing infrastructure," she noted.
She expressed her concerns about the unprecedented flooding, calling for a major movement against the situation.