Amid flood-like situation in Bengal, DVC releases water from dams

The flood-like situation in several districts of West Bengal is likely to worsen as the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has released over 3 lakh cusecs of water from its Panchet and Maithon dams within a span of seven hours, officials said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday night said that a flood-like situation was feared in at least seven districts of the state situated downstream after the release of water from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand. Addressing a press conference, Banerjee alleged that DVC was releasing water without informing her government. DVC officials said that 3 lakh cusecs of water was released from 11.30 pm on Monday to 6.54 am on Tuesday. They said that initially 90,000 cusecs of water was released on Monday night but with upstream water flow remaining high, an additional 2.1 lakh cusecs of water was released on Tuesday morning till 6.54 am. Banerjee had on Monday said that Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, and parts o