Lack of dredging in barrages causing flood-like situation

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the lack of proper dredging in barrages was the cause of the flood-like situation in some parts of the state.

If proper dredging was carried out in the barrages then they could have held more water, she said.

Banerjee said she has sent her ministers in the affected districts like Murshidabad, Malda to supervise the situation there.

DVC has released around 70,000-75,000 cusec water yesterday resulting in inundation mostly in delta areas. Because of heavy rains in Bihar the Phulahar river has inundated some pockets in Malda, she said.

One person was rescued at Udaynarayanpur in Howrah district.

A round the clock monitoring cell under new chief secretary Rajiva Sinha has been constituted to keep a tab of the situation, Banerjee said.

The cell will monitor the situation from time to time. DVC has also been asked to inform us before releasing water so that we can caution the people about it and they can move to a safe place, she said.