Flood alert in south Bengal districts as DVC releases water from dams

The district administrations were asked to set up control rooms and stack relief materials after the Damodar Valley Corporation started releasing excess water via dams

Water levels in several rivers of south Bengal began rising after the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) started releasing excess water through its dams, officials said on Tuesday.

DVC said 90,000 cusecs of water was released through Maithan and Panchet dams till 11:28am on Tuesday. (PTI file photo)

This development comes a day after the state government had sounded flood alert in seven districts amid heavy rainfall prediction in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The district administrations were asked to set up control rooms and stack relief materials after the DVC started releasing excess water via dams.

Sounding a flood warning on its website, DVC said 90,000 cusecs of water was released through Maithan and Panchet dams till 11:28am on Tuesday.

“On Monday, DVC released more than 1,20,000 cusecs. It controlled the flow on Tuesday since there was less rainfall in Jharkhand,” an irrigation department official said on condition of anonymity.

“In south Bengal, water level in most rivers in East and West Burdwan, Birbhum, West Midnapore, Bankura, Hooghly and Howrah districts have risen. Chief secretary HK Dwivedi held a meeting with the district magistrates and asked them to prepare for floods,” the officer added.