New Delhi: Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of “unilateral and wilful” release of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to flood parts of the state during Durga Puja, saying the actual discharge was less than half of what was claimed.
Paatil, citing information from the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC), said a total of 70,000 cusecs of water, including 42,500 cusecs from Maithon reservoir and 27,500 cusecs from Panchet reservoir, was released.
“This is not 1,50,000 cusecs as has been tweeted by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal,” he said.
Noting that the Damodar basin received 815 mm of rainfall between May and July 2025, a significant surge compared to previous years, Paatil on X said,
“This resulted in 16 times higher water inflows into the reservoirs during June-July 2025 than in 2024, and 43 times higher than in 2023.” “Despite this, DVRRC regulated water release scientifically, limiting peak discharges to 70,000 cusecs to reduce downstream flood risk,” he said.
“Despite such pressure, DVRRC regulated water release scientifically, limiting peak discharges to 70,000 cusecs to reduce downstream flood risk,” Paatil said.
Banerjee had alleged “flood mismanagement” and a “systematic attempt to trigger more and more flood-like situations” in south Bengal.
“The centrally administered agency has failed Bengal to an unprecedented degree,” she alleged in a post on X, accusing the Centre of “engineering a crisis” through the DVC.
She highlighted a sharp spike in water outflows from 4,535 lakh cubic metres in June-July 2024 to 50,287 lakh cubic meters in the same period in 2025, and said the sudden release had devastated districts, damaged roads, breached embankments, and forced mass evacuations.
Calling it “deeply disturbing,” Banerjee claimed the “30 times higher” discharge compared to 2023 pointed to a conspiracy. “This is not a natural disaster. The data speaks for itself,” she said, demanding an immediate halt to such discharges.
