Kolkata, Oct 6 (PTI) The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released 55,000 cusecs of water from its Maithon and Panchet reservoirs, raising fresh flood concerns in the southern districts of West Bengal.
West Bengal's Irrigation Minister Manas Bhunia claimed the DVC is releasing water every day without any coordination with his government.
He told PTI that there is no fixed "safe level" for DVC water release, as the risk of flooding depends on several factors, including discharge volume and the rivers' current capacity to carry water.
"Years of neglect in dredging and desiltation at DVC's Maithon and Panchet dams have drastically reduced their water-holding capacity," he said, though he did not provide technical details on the extent of the reduction.
Bhunia alleged that the DVC takes unilateral decisions with regard to the release of water.
"The Centre is treating Bengal in a step-motherly manner through DVC's actions," he alleged.
A senior state irrigation official said the situation is being closely monitored as rivers in the region remain swollen from recent heavy rainfall.
The DVC released 70,000 cusecs of water from its reservoirs on October 3, drawing sharp criticism from the West Bengal government as fears of flood gripped the downstream districts.
DVC officials said flooding is not dependent solely on its water release but also on the water-holding capacity of downstream rivers, which are not under the corporation's control or management.
According to official data, the water level of the Maithon reservoir is at 483 ft against its maximum flood level of 495 ft, while the water level of the Panchet reservoir is at 415 ft against a maximum of 435 ft.
Data from key monitoring stations along the Damodar, including Jamalpur and Rondia, indicated a rising water level, though it remained safely below the danger mark at 8 am.
A significant point of relief was at Champadanga in Hooghly, where the river level began to fall after a period of rise.
However, some rivers fed by the Damodar system, including the Kapaleswari and Rupnarayan in Paschim Medinipur district, and the Kalighi and Jamuna in Purba Medinipur and North 24 Parganas, have surged past their danger levels.
The overflow, reported between 0.07 metre and 0.39 metre, has inundated low-lying areas of these districts.
"While the main Damodar stations are not yet in the 'danger' zone, the rising tendency at Jamalpur and Rondia is being watched with extreme caution. Any further increase in water flow from the upper basin could exacerbate the already critical situation in the waterlogged downstream districts," an official said.
The renewed flood threat in the southern districts comes even as north Bengal reels under the impact of incessant rains. So far, 28 people have been killed in the floods and landslides in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, officials said.