India Minister Blames Dam Release for Deadly Flooding in West Bengal

KOLKATA — A political dispute has erupted in eastern India after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused neighboring Jharkhand state of causing devastating floods by unnecessarily opening dam sluice gates. The flooding has claimed the lives of 26 people and displaced 250,000 in West Bengal, forcing many into relief camps.

Television footage showed rescuers using boats to evacuate people, with a state-run hospital among the flooded areas. Banerjee described the flooding as “man-made,” blaming the release of water from Jharkhand’s dams and ordering the border between the two states to be closed for three days.

Jharkhand officials, however, defended the decision, stating that the release was necessary to prevent damage to the dams. “Holding back the water could have damaged the dams and led to massive floods in both the states,” said Supriyo Bhattacharya, a representative of the Jharkhand government.

The Damodar Valley Corporation, which oversees the dams along the Damodar River, reported that it had reduced water releases as rainfall eased. The flooding highlights the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in India, which experts attribute to climate change.