Ranchi/Kolkata: In response to the flooding in Bengal following the release of water from the DVC dam at Maithon in Jharkhand, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken a stern stance. She has imposed a ban on the entry of vehicles from Jharkhand into Bengal for the next three days, starting Thursday. Mamata has also blamed the DVC and the central government for the flood and written a letter to the Prime Minister, warning of breaking ties with the DVC.
Mamata Takes Strict Action, Jharkhand Government May Face Trouble In a letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, Mamata stated that the Bengal government would cancel all agreements with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) as the unilateral release of water has led to severe flooding in the southern districts of Bengal. In her letter, she also requested immediate release of central funds to deal with the widespread destruction caused by the floods.
Earlier, during an inspection of the flood-affected areas on Thursday, Mamata had termed the disaster a conspiracy and held the central government responsible for the release of water from DVC’s dams, claiming that it was a man-made flood.
JMM Criticizes Mamata, Calls Her Mental State Unstable The ban on the entry of Jharkhand vehicles into Bengal has sparked a political row between Bengal and Jharkhand. The two INDIA alliance partners, Trinamool Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), are now at odds. JMM has raised objections to Bengal’s decision. On Friday, JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya held a press conference in Ranchi, stating that Mamata Banerjee’s mental state is not stable. He said that the Hemant government does not kneel before anyone, citing that if this were the case, Hemant Soren would not have gone to jail. He sarcastically added that it’s fortunate only the gates were opened, as a dam burst would have wiped out Bengal. He criticized Mamata’s decision and warned that if Jharkhand sealed its borders, Bengal would be cut off from the rest of the country.
Himanta Sarma: Mamata is Venting Anger on Jharkhand’s Public Assam CM and BJP’s co-election in-charge for Jharkhand, Himanta Biswa Sarma, strongly reacted, saying that the flood in Bengal occurred due to the failure of Bengal’s own officials, yet Mamata Banerjee is venting her anger on the people of Jharkhand instead of her own administration.
He emphasized that Jharkhand has no role in the Bengal floods, while Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi criticized the silence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the matter, calling it concerning.
Suvendu: Power Outage Looms for Eight Districts if Ties with DVC are Broken Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari warned that if Mamata breaks ties with the DVC, eight districts in South Bengal would face a power outage. He questioned whether Mamata sees herself on par with the Prime Minister, accusing her of weakening the federal structure of the country.
Thousands of Vehicles Stuck in Traffic for Two Days, Drivers in Trouble The ban on Jharkhand vehicles entering Bengal has led to massive traffic jams at Jharkhand’s borders. On the Jamshedpur-Kolkata highway in Ghatsila and Baharagora in East Singhbhum, there is a traffic jam extending for several kilometers. Thousands of trucks are stranded on NH near the Chichra border in East Singhbhum, causing great hardship for drivers. Similarly, long traffic jams have been reported at the Jharkhand-Bengal border in Dumka and Pakur.
Long queues of vehicles have formed at the Maheshkhala border in Ranishwar, Dumka, and the Chandpur checkpost near Pakur. On NH-18 in Bokaro’s Nagen Mor, there is a traffic jam stretching from Chas Kurra, affecting the route to Odisha via Jamshedpur. This is the only national highway to Odisha, and roads through Chandanakiyari leading to Purulia have also been blocked at the border.
At the Bir Kham and Murgatal inter-state borders in Chandanakiyari, long queues of trucks have formed. Drivers from Dhanbad, Lathehar, and Ranchi reported being stuck in no-entry zones since Thursday evening. Many are running out of food and facing severe hardship.
Many Vehicles Stopped at Jharkhand Border Drivers reported that both loaded and empty vehicles have been stopped at the Bengal border. Only vehicles carrying raw materials are being allowed into Bengal after much hassle. In Asansol, vehicles headed toward Midnapore were allowed entry after a brief halt. On Friday evening, trucks from Jharkhand were permitted to cross into Bengal at the Dibudih and Runakuna Ghat checkposts. Vehicles headed to flood-hit Midnapore are still being stopped due to the unstable situation.
