Mamata closed the state border
September 20, 20242 Mins Read
International Desk: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has closed the state border in protest against the continuous release of water from the barrage. He announced this on Thursday (September 19). Thousands of trucks loaded with goods are stuck on the national highway at the entrance to West Bengal.

Mamata

The continuous release of water from the Maithon and Panchet reservoirs in Jharkhand for the past four days has created a flood situation in several districts of South Bengal. Later on Thursday afternoon, Mamata said, 'I am asking the DG to seal the Bengal-Jharkhand border for three days.' Since then, all trucks loaded with goods have been blocked on the national highway at the West Bengal-Jharkhand state border. Besides, iron guardrails are provided on the national highway. All kinds of big vehicles coming from Jharkhand direction are being turned back without being allowed to enter Bengal. However, small private vehicles are not being stopped.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to the Prime Minister of India on the flood issue. In the letter, he wrote, "The unplanned release of more than five lakh cusecs of water from Maithon and Panchet reservoirs operated by DVC has created a flood situation in almost all the districts of South Bengal. As a result, the people of East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Birbhum and Bankura are distressed. DVC has never released so much water before. Lower Damodar and adjacent areas were flooded. There has never been such a flood since 2009.”

After the closure of the border, there was a traffic jam. Trucks from various states of India including Jammu-Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra got stuck there. At this time, the truck loaded with goods bound for the Seven Sisters of India through West Bengal also got stuck. Truck drivers say the stranded vehicles contain essential items ranging from emergency medicine, food to coal needed for power plants. Apart from this, there are several products like perishable apples, pears, onions, fish. which is likely to rot.

Meanwhile, on Friday, as a counter protest, the Communist Party of Jharkhand MCC called a blockade on the border of Serarajya, as a result of this morning, goods-laden trucks, passenger buses, and even small cars have been blocked at the Jharkhand border on their way from West Bengal to other Indian states. As a result, a deadlock has been created on both sides of the Bengal-Jharkhand border.

On the other hand, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Subvendu Adhikari, has expressed caution against such action of Mamata Banerjee. Threatening to bring down the central forces and lift the blockade, Subhendu said, 'State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thinks she is the Prime Minister. That is why they have blocked thousands of vehicles at the Jharkhand border.'