Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has released highest quantity of water from its reservoirs in the past eight years that left 106 blocks mainly in South Bengal districts heavily inundated.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Malay De held a meeting with senior officers of all the concerned departments. He took a stock of the situation and gave necessary directions to ensure support to all affected people.
According to senior officials in Nabanna, the situation is deteriorating every hour and the state government is taking all necessary steps to support the affected people. Till date, nine people were killed during the incessant rainfall since Saturday. It includes two tragic incidents that took place on Wednesday morning.
A 10-year-old boy Romit Ghosh was killed after being washed away at Bharoa in Murshidabad. A middle-aged man Naba Kumar Jana was killed at Daspur I block in West Midnapore on Wednesday.
Till the last report came in, as many as 15 lakh people were affected in districts including Birbhum, Bankura, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Burdwan and Midnapore. In North Bengal, Kaliachak I block in Malda district was also badly affected.
DVC has released 2,16,350 cusec water from its reservoirs till the last report came in on Wednesday. According to the report received by the state secretariat, 1,51,030 cusec water was released from Galodi.
The release of such a huge quantity of water at a time has resulted in heavy inundation in Bengal. "We had been requesting DVC not to release water at a go. But they have released highest quantity of water in the past eight years after saying that they are helpless and on the other hand, the villages of the state have got heavily inundated," said the state Irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee.
The state government has set up 50 relief camps where 12,000 people have been given shelter. Out of 50 relief camps, 29 are in West Midnapore, seven in West Burdwan, six in Bankura, five in North 24 Parganas and three in Hooghly.
The situation has turned so worse that two villages in Murshidabad have lost all sorts of communication. The senior officers feel that the situation will turn grimmer. They feel that more relief camps need to be set up.
The state government has already distributed 6,73,183 tarpaulin sheets, 3,26,212 dhotis, 2,45,665 sarees, 1,70,435 lungis, 75,421 and 76,732 garments for small boys and girls respectively.