Kolkata

On Wednesday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Union government of mishandling the flood situation in parts of the state, particularly in South Bengal. During her visit to the flooded Pursurah block in Hooghly district, Banerjee criticized the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing an unprecedented 3.5 lakh cusecs of water from its dams all at once.

Banerjee argued that the DVC should have gradually released water, especially since their reservoirs were nearly full. She claimed that the Union government is prioritizing states led by the ruling party, causing undue hardship for West Bengal residents.

In response to the flooding, Banerjee plans to visit other affected districts, starting with West Midnapore on Wednesday night. Areas including Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, and West Midnapore have been hit hard, with severe impacts in blocks like Amta, Udaynarayanpur, Pursura, Ghatal, and Panskura. The situation in Panskura worsened early Wednesday after the release of water from the Kansavati Dam, which led to the collapse of the Karnavati embankment.

Additionally, Bankura district has been experiencing severe flooding due to heavy rains, with 1,123 mm of rainfall recorded since June 1, surpassing the average by 200 mm.