Centre apathetic to floods in state: CM Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Centre of not helping the state government tackle the “havoc” caused by the recent floods. 

Flood waters washed away roads, bridges and crops in several districts, she said. At least 50 people were killed in 14 districts and nearly 4 lakh hectare of agricultural land was washed away in incessant rains and the water discharged by the Damodar Valley Corporation through its dams.

“They (Centre) are not at all helping us in tackling the flood havoc,” Ms Banerjee said, adding that districts like Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum and two Midnapores had been badly hit. Ms Banerjee said she would speak to chief secretary Malay Dey, who is currently in New Delhi, in this regard once he is back.

Meanwhile, a senior official at the state agricultural department said that around 36,110 hectare of land out of the 1,24,144 hectare where vegetables were planted, was under water. “The maximum damage was witnessed in districts like East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas.

In East Midnapore, around 6,984 hectare of land lay under water while in South 24 Parganas, the figure is 8,242 hectare,” the officer said. Paddy damage in East Midnapore was estimated at 16,940 hectares, while in South 24-Parganas, it was at 13,263 hectare, the officer said.