Mamata seals Jharkhand border over flooding; several goods vehicle stranded

West Bengal's flood crisis has escalated into a confrontation with Jharkhand after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered the closure of the inter-state border. Banerjee has accused the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of mismanaging water release, stating that the corporation released 5 lakh cusecs of water over three days, causing severe flooding in 11 districts of southern Bengal. She also criticized Jharkhand Chief Minister and INDIA bloc ally Hemant Soren for not responding to her appeals to stop the release of water.

Banerjee specifically blamed the DVC, which operates in both West Bengal and Jharkhand, for the situation, claiming their water management failures led to the current crisis. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya termed Banerjee's decision to close the border as "hasty and unreasonable," warning of potential retaliatory actions, including blocking trucks carrying essential goods to Bengal. Bhattacharya added that reservoirs in Jharkhand were nearing dangerous levels due to heavy rainfall, making the water release inevitable.

The border closure, ordered by Banerjee, was reportedly aimed at preventing vehicles from being swept away by floodwaters on the Bengal side. However, this move has led to rising tensions, especially at the Dhanbad-West Burdwan border, where Bengal Police have begun blocking trucks and other commercial vehicles from entering. As a result, long queues of vehicles, including freight trucks, have formed at the border, leaving drivers stranded.

Mamata Banerjee claimed to have contacted the DVC chairman and Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Soren, urging them to halt the release of water from dams to mitigate the flooding in Bengal. Despite this, the border closure is expected to remain in effect until October 3, with restrictions on vehicles carrying goods into Bengal.

Local officials from Jharkhand, including the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Nirsa 11 Kund, visited the Debudih Checkpost at the Jharkhand-Bengal border to assess the situation. They expressed concern about the hardship faced by truck drivers, many of whom have been left stranded without access to basic amenities. Long lines of frustrated drivers have formed along the roads, as vehicles are being barred from entering Bengal.