The Damodar Valley Corporation has issued a red alert. (Representational image: PTI)

South Bengal areas face massive flood risk amid rain, discharge from dams

The West Bengal government alerted the District Magistrates, mobilised senior officials, and directed them to prepare for rescue operations amid the flood-like situation.

by · India Today

In Short

  • State officials closely monitoring, Chief Minister warns district magistrates
  • Government assigns 10 IAS officers to control situations with rescue plans in place
  • Rain and water from dams submerges many villages, rivers at danger levels

Many districts in South Bengal are on the verge of a massive flood as the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has released water from two dams, along with incessant and continuous rain.

State government officials said they are closely monitoring the situation, and State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has warned district magistrates to remain alert. Nabanna, the state secretariat, has also instructed officials to be prepared to deal with the situation.

“Due to the water being released from the Maithon, Durgapur, and Panchet reservoirs, a flood situation has developed in the lower Damodar catchment area. Ten senior IAS officers have been tasked with bringing the situation under control,” said Alapan Banerjee, chief advisor to the Chief Minister.

He added, "In the lower basin, people will be rescued and taken to other places if needed; we have started preparing for it".

The Damodar Valley Corporation has issued a red alert in the area as the discharge of water was escalated to 2.5 lakh cusecs on Tuesday.

Commenting on the situation, Banerjee alleged that the DVC was releasing water without informing her government. The Chief Minister said she had called the Jharkhand Chief Minister three times, urging him to regulate the release of water.

Water levels in many rivers in the state have touched danger limits in several areas. Regions like West Medinipur, including Ghatal, are already inundated. The heavy rain has also caused a dam on the Kure River in Lavpur, Birbhum, to break, affecting 15 villages.

As the Dwarkeshwar River breached, many residents from Hooghly have left their homes in search of safe shelter. Vast tracts of crops have also been washed away by the floodwaters.

Bankura, West Burdwan, East Burdwan, Hooghly, and Howrah along the Damodar are some of the areas hardest hit by the flood situation.