West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has imposed a ban on the entry of cargo vehicles from Jharkhand, in protest against the neigbouring state releasing excess water from Maithon and Panchet dams. This release has resulted in a flood-like situation in parts of Bengal.
The police have stopped the entry of cargo vehicles travelling from Jharkhand to West Bengal at Duburdih Check Post near Maithon from around 7 pm on Thursday evening. This has led to long queues of vehicles at the West Bengal-Jharkhand border on the Delhi-Kolkata national highway. The West Bengal Police said that they have received an order from senior officers regarding the ban.
Sources said that the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is not pleased with Jharkhand releasing water from the dams of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). The release of excess water from the dam has led to a flood-like situation in Paschim Bardhaman and Medinipur districts in the state. Reportedly, in the last three days, five lakh cusec liters of water was released from the dam towards West Bengal.
The queuing up of vehicles has led to a huge traffic jam around the Duburdih Check Post. At present, the Jharkhand government is also threatening to take similar action against West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee said that her government has severed all ties with DVC, which operates in West Bengal and Jharkhand to prevent floods in the adjoining states.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “This is a hasty and unjustified step taken by West Bengal. We will stop all cargo trucks carrying food grains and other commodities going towards West Bengal. Due to heavy rains, the water level in Jharkhand reservoirs has reached close to the danger mark. In any case, an inter-state committee monitors the release of water from overflowing dams.”
The JMM is a partner of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in the opposition INDIA bloc.
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