Joydeep Sarkar and Aparna Bhattacharya 
The West Bengal government and the Centre are once again locked in a war of words over the state’s flood situation, a recurring issue each year. In recent days, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sent multiple letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of releasing water from its reservoirs without consulting her government, which led to widespread flooding across several districts.
Banerjee labeled the flood “man-made,” a phrase she has used since 1999 to describe the cause of West Bengal’s recurring flood problems. In a strongly worded letter, she alleged that the DVC’s release of water was “pre-meditated and done to put West Bengal in trouble just to save their own state (Jharkhand) from flooding”.
Mamata Banerjee vows to ‘cut-off’ ties with DVC
She has also vowed to “cut-off” ties with DVC and has withdrawn state representatives from the corporation’s board. Last week, the Bengal Government imposed a 24-hour ban on the entry of trucks from Jharkhand, leading to sharp criticism from the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party, which accused Mamata Banerjee of “losing mental balance.”
“Whenever it rains in Jharkhand, they release water into Bengal. Bihar faces flooding too, but they dig canals to divert the water towards Bengal. Political parties spend huge sums on elections, grand buildings, and massive statues. If the Centre gave us even a quarter of that money, we could focus on the Ganga Action Plan,” said Banerjee while addressing the media after an administrative meeting on the flood situation in the state, in Purba Bardhaman.
Flood affected areas in West Bengal. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar
The Chief Minister, under pressure from state-wide protests over the RG Kar killing, has been touring the flood-affected areas.
Over 1,000 square kilometres submerged
Incessant rainfall, followed by the release of water from DVC-controlled dams, have submerged over 1,000 square kilometres of central Bengal affecting nearly 5 million people. This has triggered a devastating flood across South Bengal, submerging vast areas of Ghatal, Khanakul, Arambag, and Udaynarayanpur blocks.
Roads have turned into rivers, with boats navigating through them, while water has reached the first floors of thousands of homes. Many residents have been forced to seek shelter on rooftops, upper floors, or in relief camps. The state government claims that the severity of this disaster is comparable to the devastating floods of 2009.
Scenes from flood affected regions in West Bengal. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar
“Paddy cultivation in this area was very good this time. The harvest would have started in a month. But all the farmland in the area is under water. We will get crop insurance money, at most four to five thousand, but the amount of damage is several lakhs. I don’t know how to compensate for this loss,” said Sadananda Samui, a farmer from Udaynarayanpur.
‘Attempt to strangle Bengal!”
“This is a man-made flood, an attempt to strangle Bengal! Water from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand will pass through West Bengal, but the state will not get any money for it! The DVC has caused a disaster by releasing water without informing the state,” claimed Manas Bhuina, the Irrigation Minister of the state.
In her letter to the Prime Minister, Banerjee claimed “It is my understanding that the peak discharge of 2.5 lakh cusecs could have been avoided. Evidence suggests that the Mython and Panchet reservoirs were not allowed to encroach beyond their maximum flood management levels (MFML) – 495 ft for Mython and 425 ft for Panchet – this time. For example, during a previous incident on August 1, 2021, Panchet reached 430.61 ft, well above its MFML, while this time it only reached 425.12 ft.”
The DVC dams at Mython and Panchet, located along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border, were built to manage floods in the Damodar basin, covering an area of 25,000 square kilometers.
A committee, comprising representatives from West Bengal, Jharkhand, the Central Water Commission, and the DVC, oversees the management of these reservoirs. The West Bengal Irrigation Department is responsible for desilting the Lower Damodar area.
However, experts, environmentalists, and scientists have consistently warned that the unscientific construction of large dams, along with sedimentation, has diminished the reservoirs’ capacity forcing excessive water releases during heavy rains, intensifying downstream flooding.