DVC releases 90K cusec water; 7 dist admins on high alert

Kolkata: Heavy rainfall in some districts of Bengal coupled with the release of 90,000 cusec water from Maithon & Panchet dams of DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation) on Tuesday has kept the district administration of seven districts on high alert.

Parts of Bankura and Ghatal in West Midnapore are waterlogged. One Basudev Santra (60) reportedly died after being struck by lightning at East Burdwan on Tuesday morning.

A total of 1,259 people were shifted to a safer place with 970 people being evacuated in the Bankura district from the Mejia Char area and some villages adjacent to the Damodar River under Sonamukhi block. Thirty-five relief camps are running in Bankura and Purulia district with a total of 14467 pieces of tarpaulin being distributed.

A flood-like situation is further apprehended with the release of water from the Mukutmanipur dam on the Kangsabati River.

Persistent heavy rainfall has contributed to abnormal rise in water levels in several rivers like Darakeshwar, Kangsabati, Silabati, Gandheswari and some other rivers in Bankura. With DVC releasing water, the residents of low-lying areas of the Indus as well as Patrasayer blocks are scared.

Worry is apparent in areas on the bank of the Damodar River in East Burdwan amidst DVC’s water release. Raina and Jamalpur block in the district may face inundation if there is a further increase in water release. Bhatora and GB Chitnan gram panchayat area under Amta in Howrah is heavily waterlogged.

Rainfall was reported in Cooch Behar, East Midnapore, Bankura, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Purulia, Kolkata, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday. The Irrigation and Waterways Department is in touch with the DVC and Jharkhand authorities, keeping a close watch over the situation amidst the forecast of increased rainfall in Jharkhand on Wednesday. “We still have some cushion level of the dams to accommodate the continuing high inflow of water,” an official of the Irrigation and Waterways department said.

Earlier, Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi had chaired an emergency virtual meeting with the administration of seven districts- West Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, East Burdwan, West Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah- discussing immediate precautionary steps for flood protection and management.