Bengal floods: CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi, threatens to sever ties with DVC

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state would sever all ties with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for "unilaterally releasing water" which led to floods in south Bengal districts. In the letter to Modi, she requested immediate release of central funds to address the widespread devastation caused by the floods.

"The state is now facing the biggest floods in Lower Damodar and adjoining areas after 2009. l earnestly request that you give this matter serious consideration and direct the concerned ministries to address these issues as top priority, including the sanction and release of substantial Central funds to undertake extensive flood management works in the interest of people, who suffer the most," she wrote.

She claimed that "unplanned and unilateral release of an enormously huge volume of water at nearly 5 lakh cusecs from the combined system of Maithon and Panchet dams owned and maintained by the DVC led to the devastation."