Kolkata, 15 July (H.S.) –

As heavy rainfall continues to batter parts of West Bengal, several areas, particularly Ghatal, are facing severe flood-like conditions. In a high-level review meeting held at Nabanna on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly criticized the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing water without informing the state government.

The Chief Minister alleged that since June 18, the DVC has been releasing water continuously, discharging nearly 2.7 million cusecs so far, which has inundated large stretches of low-lying areas. “The DVC is releasing water without notifying the state administration, and this is causing floods in several districts,” Banerjee said during the meeting.

Expressing her frustration, Mamata Banerjee stated that she had repeatedly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this issue, but her appeals had gone unanswered. “I’ve written to the Prime Minister several times, but there has been no outcome. The DVC continues to release water without any prior intimation,” she said.

Banerjee also accused the central government of financial discrimination, claiming that while states like Assam receive prompt flood relief from the Centre, West Bengal is consistently overlooked. She described this as an act of “financial injustice.”

Given the seriousness of the situation, the Chief Minister directed the state administration to remain on high alert. She has assigned three senior secretaries to coordinate with district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs) in the worst-affected districts to closely monitor the ground situation.

A dedicated control room is also being set up to coordinate relief and response operations, which will be monitored directly by the Chief Minister.

The state health department has been instructed to dispatch sufficient medicines to flood-hit areas to prevent disease outbreaks. Relief camps have been opened in several districts, and local administrations have been asked to oversee their functioning.

Banerjee emphasized that the state government is doing everything in its power to manage the crisis, but added that the Centre’s apathy has further complicated the situation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh