Speaking on a resolution regarding erosion control and flood mitigation in West Bengal, the chief minister said: “Bengal is like a boat. All water (from the rivers in the Himalayas) come to our state. We suffer from floods… I spoke in detail about the need for the India-Bhutan river commission at the NITI Aayog meeting. I recorded the matter in the presence of the Prime Minister.”
“Let the Assembly committee go to the Central Irrigation Ministry on this issue. The copy of the House discussion should be sent to the TMC MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. They should also be able to talk about it,” the CM said and added that BJP MLA Suman Kanjilal, who recently joined TMC, be included in the Assembly committee.
“Every year, many districts of Bengal get washed away because of the water released by the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation). Neighbouring states were given money for floods but not my state. When Bhutan released the water, the Centre was informed, but the state government was not informed. Forests and tea gardens in Bengal are being swept away by floods,” she said.
“I said in the NITI Aayog meeting that the India-Bhutan river commission should be made on the model of India-Bangladesh River Commission,” the CM added.
Reiterating her government’s opposition to any agreement between India and Bangladesh over the sharing of the Teesta river water, Banerjee said: “The BJP government took a unilateral decision on the Teesta water sharing agreement.”
“I take decisions suitable for Bengal because the people of this state elected me. The Central government should talk with the state government before making any agreement with Bangladesh,” she added.
Maintaining that she loves the people of Bangladesh, Banerjee said sharing of Teesta water will mean “depriving north Bengal of even drinking water”, let alone any provision for irrigation purposes.
Banerjee also alleged that the state government was not invited to discussions between India and Bangladesh over the renewal of the Farakka Treaty, stating that her state is a stakeholder in the issue, as river Ganga flows into the neighbouring nation from West Bengal.
Last month, Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Modi, expressing “strong reservation” over the Centre “excluding” the West Bengal government from discussions with Bangladesh regarding Teesta water sharing and the Farakka Treaty.
Banerjee, in the communication, had also blamed the construction of a “series of hydropower projects in Sikkim, deforestation in the upper catchment and impact of climate change” as reasons behind the Teesta river’s health suffering.
— With PTI