West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of releasing water from its reservoirs without adequate consultation, leading to severe flooding in several districts. In her letter, dated September 21, Banerjee claimed that the decisions were made unilaterally by the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Jal Shakti without proper coordination with West Bengal’s government.
Banerjee also highlighted that a peak water release, lasting for nine hours, was initiated with just 3.5 hours of notice, which she stated was insufficient for effective disaster management. She expressed concerns that the lack of timely communication hampered the state’s preparedness for the floods.
In her earlier letter to PM Modi on September 20, Banerjee reported that five million people in the state were affected by the floods. She urged the Prime Minister to immediately release central funds to address the widespread devastation.
Meanwhile, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil responded to Banerjee’s initial letter, stating that West Bengal officials were informed at every stage of the water release, which was essential to prevent a larger disaster. Paatil emphasized that the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, which includes representatives from both the central and state governments, managed the releases.
The flood situation has sparked significant political debate as West Bengal continues to battle the aftermath of the disaster.