‘Man-made floods’: TMC to stage protest at Panchet & Maithan

Kolkata: After Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently accused the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of deliberately releasing water from its dams “without informing the state government” and creating a flood-like situation in south Bengal districts during the Durga Puja festivities, her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) will hold a protest demonstration on Saturday at Panchet and Maithon dams.

The Central PSU, however, rejected the charge. After the Chief Minister had raised her voice against the DVC, the ruling Trinamool Congress took preparations to launch a major agitation immediately after Lakshmi Puja.

The party had also issued a strong warning, including the threat to gherao the DVC office in Kolkata as part of their protest. Trinamool Congress already staged a protest demonstration at Durgapur barrage.

Trinamool Congress leaders also dubbed the DVC’s action as a deliberate attempt to cause a “man-made” flood and a conspiracy by the central government to disrupt the Puja in districts.

The Bengal Chief Minister was furious with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing a significant volume of water without consulting the state government. The unplanned release had allegedly flooded low-lying areas. The DVC water release quickly escalated into a high-stakes Centre vs State confrontation, a perennial flashpoint in the state’s politics.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Banerjee is likely to visit North Bengal again on Monday, with Darjeeling included in her itinerary. She is expected to oversee ongoing reconstruction and repair work on the ground and hold a high-level administrative meeting during the visit. Banerjee had rushed to north Bengal early this week after a disaster occurred there.