Kolkata: The flood-like situation in West Midnapore has apparently worsened, with several areas in Ghatal inundated following continuous heavy rainfall. Chandrakona has remained waterlogged for the past four to five days. So far, more than 2 lakh people have been affected and 188 villages have been marooned.
“Over 2,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps, where food is being provided through community kitchens. Medical arrangements have been made, particularly for pregnant women and those suffering from snake bites,” said Manas Bhunia, State Irrigation and Waterways minister and MLA from Sabang.
Ten speed boats have been deployed to ferry people across affected areas. The administration has also been supplying drinking water and medicines to the distressed. For relief operations, the government has made available 55 metric tonnes of rice, 20,000 tarpaulins, 20,000 sets of clothing, and two mobile drinking water treatment units. According to initial estimates by the Agriculture department, around 2,207 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged, with crops such as sesame, groundnut and jute severely affected. “Damodar Valley Corporation had assured us that water release would be limited to 60,000 cusecs, but on Saturday, they released 71,000 cusecs. Although calibrated timings for water release were discussed in meetings, DVC did not adhere to the plan. We have sent a strong letter protesting this indiscriminate release,” said Bhunia. Following intervention by chief secretary Manoj Pant, the DVC reportedly regulated its water release on Sunday.
Meanwhile, ministers Firhad Hakim and Pulak Roy visited several areas in Khanakul, Hooghly district, on Sunday to assess the situation. Concerns were raised over a potential flood-like scenario due to water released by DVC, which has caused surge in Lower Damodar and Mundeshwari rivers.
Meanwhile, Trinamool wrote on X: “FACT CHECK: The Ghatal Master Plan has been pending with the Centre for 12 years. Despite repeated appeals from GoWB, the heartless Modi Govt. hasn’t lifted a finger. To make matters worse, @MinOfPower-controlled DVC releases massive volumes of water without any prior notice. With ZERO support from Centre, Smt.@MamataOfficial took matters into her own hands.
The Ghatal Master Plan is now being implemented using state funds, with ₹1,500 crore earmarked for the project and ₹500 crore allocated in FY 2025–26 Budget. From Day 1, GoWB has been transparent that this is not a quick fix. It will take at least two years for implementation but the wheels are in motion While Bangla-Birodhi@BJP4India sits idle and weaponises people’s suffering for cheap political gains, Bengal’s Chief Minister shows what true leadership looks like. Today, ‘PM’ stands for Propaganda Mantri. But in Bengal, ‘CM’ proudly means Compassionate Mother.”