West Bengal Floods: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Blames DVC

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attributed the flood-like situation in parts of the state to the deliberate release of water from DVC dams. Visiting affected areas in Hooghly district, she criticized DVC's actions and the Centre's lack of dredging efforts, claiming this exacerbated the crisis.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stated that the flood-like situation in certain parts of the state is "man-made," attributing it to the unrestrained release of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) from its Maithon and Panchet dams.

Banerjee, while visiting the flood-affected areas in Hooghly district, informed reporters that DVC has released 3.5 lakh cusecs of water, creating the current situation.

"This kind of water discharge had never happened before. DVC has released 3.5 lakh cusecs of water. I have spoken with the DVC officials and the Jharkhand chief minister, but to no avail," she remarked, adding that the Centre's failure to dredge DVC dams has worsened the issue.

She accused the DVC of releasing water in a "pre-meditated" manner to create trouble for West Bengal. Various parts of the state, including Hooghly and Paschim Medinipur districts, have been submerged, prompting the chief minister to visit the affected regions.

(With inputs from agencies.)