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Bengal

CM slams Centre again for not carrying out dredging in rivers

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again held the lackadaisical attitude of the Centre in carrying out dredging work responsible for the "man-made flood" in Bengal.
Banerjee said this while giving a statement in connection with the recent floods in 14 districts of the state in which 42 people were killed just because of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) releasing excessive water which also affected around 4.22 lakh hectare of agricultural land.
"We have taken up the matter with the Centre. I met the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal personally and spoke to him. I also let the Home minister know about the present situation," She said.
"The quantity of water that was released from DVC is so high that a man-made flood has taken place. There is no doubt that there was heavy rainfall but more quantity of water than that in 1978 was released this time. It was around 2.49 lakh cusec water was released that claimed lives of 42 people."
"We had been saying the same to the Centre for the past four years that it is necessary to undertake dredging in rivers. Whenever there is heavy rainfall in Jharkhand, the water is released and Bengal gets affected," she said adding that it has become a phenomenon of every year and so they are very worried.
"One is Ghatal Master Plan that we have already submitted. We are taking up around Rs 2,000 crore project for Lower Damodar. The works will help in developing the situation," Banerjee said adding that until and unless dredging in reservoirs are undertaken to increase water storage capacity, the situation will not improve.
"Everyone in the House should approach the Centre as 42 people were killed just because of water being released. The state government is undertaking relief works," Banerjee said.
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