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regular-article-logo Sunday, 26 May 2024

PM dials Mamata, assures her of all help to tackle flood situation

Bengal CM to send a report to Centre about extent of damages after completion of survey

Our Bureau, PTI Calcutta Published 04.08.21, 02:07 PM
The prime minister assured Banerjee of all central assistance to mitigate the flood situation.

The prime minister assured Banerjee of all central assistance to mitigate the flood situation. File picture

Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday and took stock of the flood situation in the state.

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"PM @narendramodi spoke to WB CM @MamataOfficial on the flood situation caused by water discharge from dams in parts of the state," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a tweet.

The prime minister assured all possible support from the Centre to help mitigate the situation, it said.

The chief minister, who was visiting flood-hit Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district, was learned to have told the prime minister that her administration will send a report to the PMO on the flood situation and the damage caused by it, a state government official said.

PM Modi prayed for the safety and wellbeing of those in affected areas, the PMO said.

At least 15 people have been killed and nearly 3 lakh displaced after heavy rain in the last few days, followed by discharge of water from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams, inundated major parts of the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas.

The ongoing flood situation triggered a political slugfest between the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP. Mahapatra accused the Central government-owned DVC of releasing water and causing a "man-made flood" situation.

"The DVC deliberately released so much of water that it led to a flood-like situation. The Central government deliberately created this man-made flood situation in Bengal. We condemn such politics," Mahapatra had told reporters after his visit to Howrah yesterday.

BJP state spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya soon termed the allegations "baseless".

"Before making such allegations, the TMC government should know why the water was released. There must be a logic behind DVC releasing the water. The fact is the state government has failed to conduct relief and rescue operations properly and are now blaming others," he said.

The DVC on Saturday had said the storage facilities at Panchet and Maithon dams have reached their capacities due to heavy inflow of water from upstream Jharkhand, and discharge under such circumstances was "unavoidable".

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