The Bengal Government continued to blame neighbouring Jharkhand and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for the aggravating flood situation in the State even as three persons perished, two in Kolkata and one elsewhere, while rain lashed the State for the past several days.
“We have written to the DVC and Central Water Commission requesting them not to release water from their barrages but our requests have been ignored,” State Irrigation Minister Rajeev Banerjee said even as Bengal Home Secretary on Tuesday spoke to his Jharkhand counterpart with a fresh request for releasing water in a controlled manner.
While Tenughat barrage released 92,000 cusec of water about 60,000 cusecs were released from Panchet dam causing grave danger of flood downstream.
“Bengal being the end State in the river scheme, we have to receive water from all the rivers. Now the upstream should release water cautiously which was not being followed despite our requests,” said Banerjee, adding a large part of Bengal, including Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura and Howrah,were getting inundated by each passing hour. Meanwhile, two people were killed when parts of a century-old building collapsed at 10 Mirror Street in central Kolkata.
The accident happened at about 12.45 pm when a part of the building suddenly collapsed burying five persons under the debris. While three persons could be rescued the rest perished, police said adding few persons could still be trapped in the debris.
Kolkata Mayor and Fire Minister Sovan Chatterjee said the building which was partly used as a godown and partly as a residence was a dilapidated one and an appropriate notice was also served on it.