Mamata Banerjee Writes Second Letter To PM Modi Over Bengal Floods, Withdraws From DVC; Two State Officials Resign From DVC As Mark Of ‘Protest’

In less than 24 hours, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shot off a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over floods in the state, reiterating that Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released water from its reservoirs without consulting the state government, leading to inundation of several districts in the southern part of Bengal. 

In her letter dated September 21, the Chief Minister referred to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil’s response to her first letter where the union minister had claimed that the state government officials were consulted before the release of water. "While the Hon'ble minister claims that the release from DVC dams was carried out by consensus and collaboration with the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, including consultations with representatives of the government of West Bengal, I may respectfully disagree. All the critical decisions are made unilaterally by representatives of the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India without arriving at a consensus” Mamata Banerjee wrote in her letter addressed to the PM. 

She further added that on the night of September 16, she had requested the chairman of DVC to defer the release of water but, she claimed. Her request was not adhered to. In her four-page letter, she gave the break up of number of times the state had reached out to DVC asking for amendments in the release of water. "Moreover peak release from the reservoirs lasting for a prolonged period of nine hours were conducted with only 3.5 hours notice which proved insufficient for effective disaster management”, she alleged. 

But after her warning on Friday, the Chief Minister made the decision officially communicated on Saturday stating “as a protest against this apparent disregard for West Bengal’s concern and the lack of cooperation regarding flood moderation, my government is withdrawing its representations from the DVRRC immediately”. 

Soon after her letter to the PM came out in public, state Power Secretary Santanu Basu has stepped down from the Board of DVC. That apart, the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Waterways of West Bengal has also quit the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC). Both have cited their decision as a marl of “protest”. Lakhs of people have been severely hit by the floods in different parts of the state. The worst affected areas are in Hooghly, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, parts of Burdwan and Birbhum. The chief minister had called the floods a “man-made disaster”. While seeking “personal intervention” from the Prime Minister, she has reminded that “delay in receiving central assistance and the prolonged appraisal process are undermining the urgency of addressing flood management in a scientific and comprehensive manner”.