Controversy Erupts Over Water Release: Key Officials Resign from Damodar Valley Corporation

In a heated dispute between the West Bengal government and the Centre over water release from the Damodar Valley Corporation reservoirs, state Power Secretary Santanu Basu and the Chief Engineer of Irrigation and Waterways have resigned. The resignations underscore tensions and disagreements on flood management and consultation processes.

Amid escalating tensions between the West Bengal government and the Centre over the release of water from reservoirs controlled by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), state Power Secretary Santanu Basu has resigned from the DVC board, sources confirmed on Sunday.

The Chief Engineer for Irrigation and Waterways in West Bengal has also stepped down from the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC) in protest of the water release issue, they added.

In an email dated September 21, Basu cited the 'unprecedented and uncontrolled release of water by the DVC,' which led to widespread flooding and severe suffering in many parts of the state, as his reason for resigning. The Information and Cultural Affairs Department of West Bengal confirmed that the Chief Engineer had also resigned to protest the same issue.

Repeated attempts to contact DVC Chairman S Suresh Kumar for comments were unsuccessful.

According to anonymous sources within the DVC, this is the first occurrence of a state board member resigning despite facing more severe floods in the past. The current DVC board comprises seven members: four from the company and three government representatives, including one from the Centre and one each from West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The functioning of the board is not expected to be severely impacted as only two out of three government representatives are required for board decisions.

The resignations come after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the DVC of releasing water without consulting her government, a move that led to the flooding of multiple districts. Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil responded that state officials were informed at every step to prevent a major disaster.

In her second letter, Banerjee strongly disagreed with Paatil's claims, stating that critical decisions were made unilaterally by representatives of the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The DVRRC includes representatives from the Central Water Commission, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and the DVC.

(With inputs from agencies.)