‘My govt is withdrawing from DVRRC immediately’: Mamata writes to PM Modi, rejects consensus claim on Damodar Valley water release

“I americium informed that Maithon and Panchet reservoir are being operated by a Committee, namely ‘Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee’ (DVRRC), which is chaired by Central Water Commission, and includes practice of Chief Engineers of Government of West Bengal, Government of Jharkhand & DVC. Further, the operations and regularisation is done mostly done statement by this Committee, successful enactment with the laid down norms and usher curves,” Paatil wrote successful reply to Banerjee’s archetypal letter.

In her September 21 letter, a transcript of which is with The Indian Express, the main curate wrote, “I americium penning successful effect to the missive dated 20.09.2024 from Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India, successful effect to earlier letter…dated 20.09.2024 addressed to concerning the unprecedented flooding successful South Bengal caused by abnormally dense releases of h2o from the DVC reservoirs successful Jharkhand. While the Hon’ble Minister claims that the merchandise from DVC was carried retired by statement and collaboration with the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRR), including consultation with representatives of the Government of West Bengal, I whitethorn respectfully disagree.”

“All captious decisions are made unilaterally by representatives of the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, without arriving astatine a consensus. Sometimes, h2o releases instrumentality spot adjacent without immoderate announcement to the State Government and the requests, views of the Government of West Bengal (GoWB) are not honoured. Moreover, highest releases from the reservoirs lasting for a prolonged play of 9 hours, were conducted with lone 3.5 hours’ notice, which is insufficient for effectual catastrophe management,” Banerjee’s missive read.

“Thus, I judge the Union Minister’s connection that each efforts were made to minimize flooding is not wholly accurate. It appears the dam managers failed to decently measure inflows and set outflows successful beforehand of the flood. Furthermore, I person been informed that determination are ongoing attraction issues astatine DVC dams,” the missive further stated.

“As a protestation against this evident disregard for West Bengal’s concerns and the deficiency of practice regarding flood moderation, my g o v e r n m e n t is withdrawing its practice from the DVRRC (Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee), immediately,” Banerjee wrote.

The main curate besides wrote that “the implementation of broad flood absorption schemes successful captious stream basins is urgently needed to forestall aboriginal flooding”. “It is not feasible for West Bengal unsocial to carnivore the full outgo of these projects,” she added.

“Two large schemes, the Ghatal Master Plan (covering Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur districts) and the Flood Management Scheme for Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Malda, person been approved with concern clearances of Rs 1238.95 crore and Rs 496.70 crore, respectively, betwixt June 2022 and April 2024. However, these schemes are inactive pending inclusion nether the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP),” she wrote to the premier minister.

“In addition, fiscal sanctions from the Ministry of Finance for an erosion extortion strategy successful Lalgola block, Murshidabad, aimed astatine protecting the adjacent villages on the Ganga-Padma River, are inactive awaited…” Banerjee further wrote.

“In airy of these concerns, I reiterate the demands mentioned successful my erstwhile missive dated 20.09.2024, and I petition your benignant idiosyncratic involution to code these issues urgently…,” she added.