Trucks stranded at Jharkhand-WB border after Mamata Banerjee orders restriction on vehicle movement due to floods

Paschim Bardhaman (West Bengal) [India], September 20 (ANI): Long queues of trucks carrying goods were observed at the Jharkhand-West Bengal border on Friday after WB Police imposed restrictions on vehicle movement to and from the state following floods that inundated southern districts of Bengal.

Trucks queued up near the Bengal and Jharkhand borders due to the border seal.

Cargo trucks carrying raw materials and many important things are stuck at the border and are waiting for when they will be allowed to enter Bengal.

This comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday ordered that vehicle movement between Bengal and Jharkhand will be sealed after the water level rose and entered National Highway 16 at Panshkura.

Banerjee ordered the sealing of the interstate border and stated that the Bengal-Jharkhand border would be closed for three days.

CM Banerjee said all vehicle movement between West Bengal and Jharkhand will be stopped for three days.

West Bengal shares borders with Jharkhand in the three districts of Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Paschim Bardhaman.

CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the floods in the state caused by the release of 5 lakh cusecs of water from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)-controlled dams.

CM Banerjee said the “man-made flood” severely impacted over 5 million people in Bengal and said that if the negligence continues, the state would sever all ties with the corporation.

The West Bengal Chief Minister alleged that despite repeated warnings, the Centre ignored the technical, mechanical and managerial failures plaguing DVC.

Taking to her social media handle on X, Mamata Banerjee posted, “I wrote to PM Narendra Modi highlighting the devastation caused by the release of 5 lakh cusecs of water from DVC-controlled dams–a scale hitherto unwitnessed.”

“This man-made flood, the worst we have witnessed in the lower Damodar since 2009, has severely impacted over 5 million people in Bengal. Despite repeated warnings, the Centre has ignored the technical, mechanical and managerial failures plaguing DVC. If this gross negligence continues, Bengal will be forced to sever ties with DVC!” posted CM Banerjee.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing attention to severe flooding in South Bengal. The floods have affected districts including Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur.

In her letter, Banerjee said, “As a result of an unprecedented, unplanned and unilateral release of an enormously huge volume of water at nearly 5 lakh cusec from the combined system of Maithon and Panchet dams owned and maintained by the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation), all districts of South Bengal have been plunged into devastating floods, causing severe miseries to the common people.

“This massive discharge of water has created what she described as “the biggest flood in Lower Damodar & adjoining areas after 2009,” affecting over 1,000 square kilometres and nearly 5 million people.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the floods have led to significant loss of crops, damage to public infrastructure, and destruction of homes and livestock. She also added that the state government is working hard to provide relief, with operations underway to evacuate people to safer shelters.

Banerjee had visited the flood-affected areas and reported witnessing “utter misery of lakhs of our people and unprecedented destruction of property and infrastructure.” She attributed the floods to “unplanned and uncoordinated release of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) system,” and called it a “man-made flood” caused by neglect.

The letter expressed concern that the DVC failed to heed requests from the state government regarding the rising water levels. According to Banerjee, despite warnings about the critical condition of downstream rivers, the DVC increased water release from 90,000 cusec to 2,50,000 cusec within hours, which worsened the flooding situation.

Banerjee called for better management of the dams, stating that the miseries faced by the people could have been reduced with “well-planned and calibrated dam management practices.”

She said in her letter that the combined live and flood storage capacity of the Maithon and Panchet reservoirs has been reduced by 30 per cent due to siltation, and urged the government to take urgent action.

Additionally, she criticised the DVC for shifting its focus from flood control to power generation, which she claimed has harmed the interests of West Bengal. Banerjee also raised concerns about the lack of action on the Ghatal Master Plan, which has left the region vulnerable to flooding.

Also, in her letter, she warned that if the unilateral approach continues, the state may have to disengage from the DVC altogether. “We cannot allow this ongoing injustice to affect our people year after year,” she added.

Banerjee then requested the Prime Minister to consider her concerns seriously and urged the release of funds for flood management efforts to help the affected population.

CM Banerjee visited the flood-affected areas in Howrah and Panskura in Medinipur on Thursday and accused the centre of negligence for failing to carry out dredging at DVC, which she said released water resulting in floods in several districts of the state.