West Bengal Floods: Suvendu Adhikari and Mamata Banerjee Exchange Blame

Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal

On Monday, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the flood situation in the state. Adhikari criticized the state government, saying, “Mamata Banerjee is responsible for this… This is TMC’s failure, TMC should be accountable to the people of Ghatal… The state government has no role here, Mamata Banerjee herself came here but what happened? There is no rice in people’s homes, no tarpaulin, no food for children. The government has completely failed here.”

Earlier in the day, Adhikari met with flood-affected people in Ghatal, Paschim Medinipur district.

Mamata Banerjee’s Response

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led Central government of causing the floods. She said, “In Jharkhand, as soon as it rains, we become worried because they release water to save themselves, which affects the entire Bengal region. The Ganga Action Plan, flood control, and DVC are all under the central government’s control, but due to their inaction, lakhs of homes are getting flooded.”

Banerjee also mentioned that if the Central government provided the West Bengal government with one-fourth of the money it spends on elections, building large structures, and erecting statues, then West Bengal would better control the flood situation. She said, “During elections, the money that political parties spend–building large structures and erecting statues–if the Central Government gives us even one-fourth of that amount, we (the West Bengal government) could manage the Ganga Action Plan and flood control much better.”

She warned that more areas in West Bengal would be flooded if the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) releases more water. “Two depressions have developed over the Bay of Bengal. The situation will worsen, if it continues to rain, especially if the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) releases more water from its dams,” she said.

Relief Efforts

Earlier today, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee toured the flood-affected districts of the state. In Bardhaman, she distributed essential items to the affected people during her visit.

On Saturday, Banerjee wrote another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the flooding in South Bengal, which she attributed to “abnormally heavy releases of water from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) reservoirs in Jharkhand.” In her letter, Banerjee noted that the floods had affected five million people and urged the central government to release emergency funds to support recovery efforts. “The floods have led to significant loss of crops, damage to public infrastructure, and destruction of homes and livestock,” she wrote, adding the state government is working hard to provide relief, with operations underway to evacuate people to safer shelters. Banerjee urged the Prime Minister to seriously consider her concerns and requested the release of funds for flood management efforts to help the affected population.