Thaindian News

Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS) Describing the situation in parts of West Bengal as alarming following heavy release of water from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dam and the incessant rainfall, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday advised people in lower level areas to shift to higher altitudes.

“With too much water accumulation, the DVC barrage has started releasing water. Today (Thursday) it let out 70,000 cusec while the Chandil dam (in Jharkhand) released over 10,000 cusec. This has created an alarming situation in several areas of the state,” said Banerjee.

“Had the silt deposited in the reservoirs been removed and their modernisation done, the capacity would have increased to over two lakh cusecs,” she added.

Khanakul, Arambag, Purshura and Tarekeshwar in Hooghly, Udaynarayanpur and Amta in Howrah, Daspur and Ghatal in West Midnapore are facing alarming situation owing to the massive release of water coupled with heavy rainfall which the state has witnessed for the last few days, she said.

Asking the people of these areas to move to higher ground, Banerjee assured them of help from the government for their damaged crops and houses.

With coastal areas of the state, including Digha in East Midnapore, facing flash floods, Banerjee warned the fishermen against venturing out into the sea.

With the Met department forecasting heavy to very heavy rain in Howrah, Hoogly, Burdwan, Kolkata, East and West Midnapore districts, Bankura, Purulia, South 24 Parganas of the Gangetic West Bengal during next 36 hours, the situation could worsen.