Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she would have to consider whether Bengal would maintain any relationship with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) if the state continued to get submerged in waters released from the dams of the central government utility.
While visiting the flood-hit Panskura in East Midnapore on Thursday, the chief minister said she had written a series of letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to undertake dredging in the DVC network to increase its water holding capacity, but nothing was done.
“No dredging was done in the DVC network over the years. As a result, when the DVC releases water, the state (Bengal) is in trouble. I have written letters to the Prime Minister, but nothing was done,” said the chief minister.
The chief minister continued to say that if the state continued to get marooned by the water released from DVC dams, she would be forced to reconsider the relationship between Bengal and the DVC.
“If the DVC continues to submerge the people of Bengal, we will sever ties with the DVC,” Mamata said at Panskura.
“This entire thing is a planned conspiracy, a planned flood,” said the Trinamul chief.
“The DVC’s water retention capacity has come down to 36 per cent. Why will the Centre not carry out dredging and desiltation of the DVC? Why will Bengal get flooded because of the DVC?” she asked. “They don’t carry out dredging in the Farakka Barrage, and as a result, Bengal and Bihar get flooded. They don’t dredge the DVC and consequently, Bengal gets flooded. They release excess water here to safeguard Jharkhand. This is not right!”
Resorting to her frequent allegation of step-motherly treatment of Bengal by the Centre, she said: “I am sorry, but this is not Bengal’s water, this is Jharkhand’s water. This is water from Tenughat and Panchet dams, and also from the DVC. All of them are central utilities,” she said, apparently cautious against complaining against the JMM-led state government in Jharkhand, with which she has cordial ties.
She said she spoke a number of times with JMM chief Hemant Soren on the matter.
“We must stage a mass protest in this regard, and we will organise a major one,” she added. “I cannot protect you (Jharkhand) by putting my people’s lives in peril. The Jharkhand border will remain closed for three days... because otherwise the vehicles will bring in more water.”
She said many letters from her to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seem to have yielded no results, and wondered what more she could do.
“They (the BJP) are defaming Bengal. Even a section of the media is involved. Neither the people nor the almighty will spare them for this,” said the chief minister.
Although the chief minister said the state could sever ties with the DVC, senior officials in the state administration said it would be easier said than done.
Officials said the DVC played an important role in flood management and irrigation in lower Damodar basin that includes East Burdwan, Howrah and Hooghly.
“If the state does not maintain any relationship with the DVC, the utility would release water from their dams according to their wish without informing Bengal.... Now, at least, Bengal gets some time to evacuate people from low-lying areas, ready flood shelters and other arrangements,” said a senior irrigation department official.
