Flood Crisis: Trucks Stranded at Jharkhand-Bengal Border As CM Mamata Bans Entry of Cargo Vehicles

Kolkata: Long queues of trucks loaded with goods were seen at the Jharkhand -West Bengal border on Friday, as West Bengal police enforced restrictions on vehicle movement to and from the state due to flooding that has affected southern districts of Bengal.

Trucks were lined up at the Bengal- Jharkhand border due to the closure, with cargo vehicles carrying essential raw materials stuck and awaiting permission to enter Bengal.

This situation arose after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday that vehicle movement between Bengal and Jharkhand would be restricted following rising water levels that flooded National Highway 16 in Panshkura.

However, later in the day, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP president Suvendu Adhikari claimed that vehicular restrictions are no longer in place as CM Mamata Banerjee caved into the pressure of the Centre and the resilience shown by agitated people of Jharkhand . 

Banerjee declared that the interstate border would be sealed for three days, halting all vehicle movement between West Bengal and Jharkhand during this period.

West Bengal shares its border with Jharkhand across three districts: Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Paschim Bardhaman.

CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the floods in the state caused by the release of 5 lakh cusecs of water from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)-controlled dams.CM Banerjee said the "man-made flood" severely impacted over 5 million people in Bengal and said that if the negligence continues, the state would sever all ties with the corporation.

The West Bengal Chief Minister alleged that despite repeated warnings, the Centre ignored the technical, mechanical and managerial failures plaguing DVC.

In a post on X, Mamata Banerjee posted, “I wrote to PM Narendra Modi highlighting the devastation caused by the release of 5 lakh cusecs of water from DVC-controlled dams--a scale hitherto unwitnessed. This man-made flood, the worst we have witnessed in the lower Damodar since 2009, has severely impacted over 5 million people in Bengal. Despite repeated warnings, the Centre has ignored the technical, mechanical and managerial failures plaguing DVC. If this gross negligence continues, Bengal will be forced to sever ties with DVC!".

Jharkhand Releases 3 lakh Cusecs of Water In Damodar 

In response to the incessant rainfall in the state over the past week, authorities at five major dams—Tenughat, Maithon, Panchet, Patratu, and Garga—have started releasing water to manage the situation and prevent overflow and potential damage.

“Over 3.39 lakh (3,39,000) cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water was being released into the rivers, nearly six times the 61,000 cusecs discharged on Saturday from all the dams. This significant volume is flowing into the Damodar River, traversing the districts of Bokaro and Dhanbad before reaching West Bengal,” officials said. 

Officials also mentioned that the Jharkhand government has notified West Bengal about the water release to ensure that precautions are implemented for areas downstream.