Mamata Banerjee accuses Jharkhand govt of releasing dam water without consultation

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today protested the release of 1.75 lakh cusec water from a dam in Jharkhand which she said was done without consulting the state and posed a threat of inundation in West Midnapore district.


The water was released from the dam at 3:00 am without any consultation or information. West Bengal was informed of it at 6:00 am, Banerjee told the assembly during the special one-day session.

Many areas in West Midnapore district including Keshiary, Sankrail were faced with threat of inundation, she said.

"I condemn the act in the House. We will register a protest with the Jharkhand government. We will not spare them if there is any loss in our state due to release of the water," she said.

In a veiled reference to the Congress-JMM coalition in Jharkhand, she said "The attitude will be different if there is a government other than Congress. This is unacceptable." Meanwhile, a report from West Midnapore district said that the administration has sounded a flood alert.

People living in low-lying areas like Nayagram, Gopiballavpur, Datan and Saban have been asked to move to safer places as the administration apprehended that these areas would be inundated by the water released from the dam in neighbouring Jharkhand after 10:00 pm tonight, official sources said.

A special control room has been opened in the office of the district magistrate.

All block development officers have been instructed by the district magistrate to stock relief materials like polythene sheets ready, they said.