West Bengal Faces Crisis: DVC's Sudden Water Release Sparks Flood-Like Situation

Several districts in West Bengal face a worsening flood-like situation due to sharp increases in water discharge from DVC's Panchet and Maithon dams. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concerns over the uncoordinated water release, affecting districts already swamped by recent heavy rains.

Several districts in West Bengal are experiencing a worsening flood-like situation, following a steep increase in water discharge from the Damodar Valley Corporation's (DVC) Panchet and Maithon dams, officials reported on Tuesday.

The DVC confirmed that it had released approximately 90,000 cusecs of water from the dams at 11:30 PM on Monday, which drastically surged to 2.5 lakh cusecs by 8:31 AM on Tuesday. As a result, a 'red alert' has been issued.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grave concern late Monday over the potential flooding in at least seven downstream districts. She criticized the DVC for not informing her administration about the water release, and noted that many areas were already waterlogged due to incessant rain. The situation threatens severe crop damage and has put several communities at risk.

(With inputs from agencies.)