- By Shubham Bajpai
- Mon, 06 Oct 2025 03:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for the floods, calling them a man-made disaster.
She alleged that the DVC released the reservoir water without coordination with the state government, which worsened the situation in Darjeeling and the nearby areas of North Bengal.
She further alleged that the DVC released water to save Jharkhand from flooding and Bengal is bearing the brunt. "The DVC is releasing water as per its wish. The lack of desilting of the Maithon and Panchet reservoirs has significantly reduced its water retention capacity. The DVC is doing this to save Jharkhand from flooding, and Bengal is bearing the brunt," Banerjee alleged.
CM Mamata said this while she was at the Kolkata Airport before leaving for Bagdora to take stock of relief efforts. North Bengal, which was already reeling with torrential rainfall of 300 mm within 12 hours, was severely affected by the release of water.
The incessant rainfall in the upper reaches of the state over the last 48 hours has led to widespread flooding in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduars and Cooch Behar, officials said.
CM Mamata added that the state government has arranged 45 buses to bring back stranded tourists from the flood-hit regions of North Bengal.
Death toll rises to 28
Meanwhile, the death toll in the devastating landslide has risen to 28. The rescue operation is underway as several people are missing.
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North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said,"The situation remains extremely challenging. Till now, we have reports that 28 people have died. A few more bodies were recovered since last night. The deaths were reported from both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts. Continuous rainfall is hampering the rescue operations," he told PTI.
(With PTI Inputs)