Kolkata
Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on Saturday rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that over 1,50,000 cusecs of water were released from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams during the Durga Puja festival. He clarified that the actual release was much lower, at around 70,000 cusecs, according to official records.
Banerjee had accused the DVC of deliberately releasing excessive water from Maithon and Panchet dams to cause flooding and trouble for residents during the festival. She termed it a “planned attempt” to inflict suffering on the people of the state.
Refuting these accusations, Patil cited data from the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC), which oversees water discharge decisions. “As per the DVRRC Secretariat, 42,500 cusecs were released from Maithon and 27,500 cusecs from Panchet,” he said, stressing that the total did not exceed 70,000 cusecs.
Patil further stated that all water releases were made only after consulting the West Bengal Irrigation and Waterways Directorate. However, he claimed no feedback or objections were received from the state authorities.
He also dismissed allegations of mismanagement, confirming that the situation in the Lower Damodar region was normal and that water levels at Harinkhola in Hooghly district remained below the warning mark.
In past years, Banerjee had similarly accused DVC of releasing excess water without warning, even writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. However, DVC officials maintain that every water release follows DVRRC protocols, in which the state government is represented.