MIDNAPORE: With the spectre of flood looming large, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday evening held an emergency meeting with irrigation minister Manas Bhunia in her Kalighat home to take stock of the rapidly deteriorating situation and to deal with it on a war footing. The CM has also formed a three-member cabinet committee, comprising state industries minister Partha Chatterjee, minister for disaster management Jawed Khan and Bhunia himself to keep a round-the-clock tab on the situation.
The CM also informed her cabinet colleagues that any further release of water from the DVC's Panchet or Mython dams should only be done after people living along the river's downstream be evacuated to safer places. DVC has requested the state government to allow it to release 10,000 to 12,000 cusecs to ease the pressure on the dams due to incessant rainfall.
"According to the CM's directives, any release of water by DVC should be only after consultation with the DMs of Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah," Bhunia said. He admitted that the situation was assuming threatening proportions due to the unexpected heavy rainfall. "Even an otherwise arid district of Bankura has received 300 mm of rainfall," he said.
The situation turned worse in West Midnapore's Debra. Nearly 5,000 people belonging to 14 villages in Raipur block were inundated after the DVC was forced to release 15,000 cusecs in Kansabati river from the Tarapheni barrage late on Saturday. People alleged that the administration was yet to provide relief. Local MLA Radha Kanta Maiti is camping on the spot with a large contingent of police.
The Rupnarayan has already caused damage in Kolaghat, said Bhunia. "Four deaths have been reported from Bankura and North 24-Parganas," he said. An emergency control room has already been set up at the Jalsampad Bhawan in Salt Lake, manned by senior engineers.
The CM also informed her cabinet colleagues that any further release of water from the DVC's Panchet or Mython dams should only be done after people living along the river's downstream be evacuated to safer places. DVC has requested the state government to allow it to release 10,000 to 12,000 cusecs to ease the pressure on the dams due to incessant rainfall.
"According to the CM's directives, any release of water by DVC should be only after consultation with the DMs of Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah," Bhunia said. He admitted that the situation was assuming threatening proportions due to the unexpected heavy rainfall. "Even an otherwise arid district of Bankura has received 300 mm of rainfall," he said.
The situation turned worse in West Midnapore's Debra. Nearly 5,000 people belonging to 14 villages in Raipur block were inundated after the DVC was forced to release 15,000 cusecs in Kansabati river from the Tarapheni barrage late on Saturday. People alleged that the administration was yet to provide relief. Local MLA Radha Kanta Maiti is camping on the spot with a large contingent of police.
The Rupnarayan has already caused damage in Kolaghat, said Bhunia. "Four deaths have been reported from Bankura and North 24-Parganas," he said. An emergency control room has already been set up at the Jalsampad Bhawan in Salt Lake, manned by senior engineers.
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