Bengal irrigation minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia on Thursday said that parts of West Midnapore and Hooghly districts had suffered “significant flood discharge” this year because of the combination of record-breaking rainfall in late June and uncoordinated release of water from Jharkhand dams, including those controlled by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

“We are encountering this difficult flood situation in south Bengal, especially in West Midnapore and Hooghly, because of unprecedented rainfall coupled with uncontrolled water release from the Jharkhand-based DVC dams, as well as the Galudih dam. Under chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s direction, I will be travelling to Ghatal and adjoining areas soon,” Bhunia told The Telegraph.

“The southern districts of Bengal, particularly Purulia, Bankura, East Burdwan and Jhargram, experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall between June 17 and 20, to the tune of 247-329mm. This was perhaps the highest rainfall recorded in the region in a three-four-day period in June since the 1978 floods,” he added.

Data suggest that the recorded rainfalls over those four days were 139 per cent higher in Purulia, 142 per cent higher in Bankura, 32 per cent higher in Jhargram and 26 per cent higher in East Burdwan than the long-term average rainfall for the first three weeks of June.

“Overall, in June and July this year, the amount of rainfall was 22 per cent higher than the long-term average,” pointed out IMD scientist Habibur Rahman Biswas, adding that a well-marked low-pressure incident happened in south Bengal on June 17 and 18. According to the IMD, at least seven low-pressure and depression systems have occurred in June and July so far, which, combined with the active monsoon, caused spells of excess rainfall.

Minister Bhunia said the effective reservoir regulation of the Bengal-controlled dams had mitigated to an extent the impact of the flood-like situation.

“As no release was made from the Mukutmanipur dam since end-June, no floodwater came to Ghatal or adjoining areas through the Kangsabati. But because floodwater from uncontrolled catchments of the Darakeshwar–Gandheswari and the Silabati, significant flood discharge reached parts of West Midnapore and Hooghly,” he said.

An irrigation department report mentioned “significant flood discharge” reached Chandrakona 1 and 2, Daspur 1, and Ghatal blocks in West Midnapore through the Silabati; and Arambagh, Khanakul 1 and 2 blocks of Hooghly, adding that there were several embankment breaches as a consequence.

Bhunia also held the DVC responsible for the flood situation in June, alleging that despite repeated requests and timely communication from the Bengal government, the DVC had not handled the release from the dams properly.

A senior DVC official said that they had only released the volume of water as required under the situation after informing the stakeholders concerned.

Irrigation department officials also held a coordination meeting in Patna last week with their counterparts in Bihar and Jharkhand to counter the long-term erosion by the Ganga through the undertaking of a joint plan.