Fri Sep 20 11:28:22 UTC 2024: ## West Bengal Floods: Mamata Banerjee Blames Jharkhand, Seals Border

**Kolkata:** West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused Jharkhand of releasing excessive water from dams, leading to devastating floods in South Bengal. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she termed the situation a “man-made disaster” and threatened to sever ties with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) if the alleged “unilateral” water releases continue.

Banerjee claims that the DVC, a central government agency, and the Jharkhand government have “saved their own states” by releasing large amounts of water from Maithon, Panchet, and Tenughat dams respectively, inundating large parts of West Bengal. She has ordered the sealing of the state’s border with Jharkhand, halting the entry of heavy vehicles.

The floods have affected over 1,000 square kilometers of land and displaced nearly 5 million people, according to Banerjee. She attributes the scale of the devastation to unprecedented water releases, reaching nearly 5 lakh cusecs.

The BJP has countered Banerjee’s claims, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticizing both her and the JMM government in Jharkhand. He alleged that the Bengal government is deflecting blame from its own failures and using the floods to score political points.

The Union Power Ministry has clarified that all water releases from the dams were made in consultation with both West Bengal and Jharkhand governments. It also pointed out that the Jharkhand government has refused to bring the Tenughat dam under the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC).

Meanwhile, the Opposition in West Bengal has accused Banerjee of using the flood situation to distract from other controversies, including the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

The situation has highlighted the complexities of inter-state water management and the ongoing political tensions between the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the BJP. The upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections are expected to further fuel these tensions.

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