DVC escalates discharges following more rains

The upper dams of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) have maintained green category combined discharges since yesterday.

As a result, the Durgapur Barrage on the river has escalated its discharge level to 36,250 cusecs as of 6 p.m. today.

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According to the Central Water Commission’s water gauge stations, districts such as Koderma, Bokaro, Dhanbad in Jharkhand, and West Burdwan in the upper sub-basin of the Damodar have recorded 321 mm of accumulated rainfall over the past 24 hours. In contrast, the lower Damodar sub-basin districts of East Burdwan and Bankura received 51 mm of rainfall.

The Dwarakeswar and Kangsabati river sub-basins recorded 234.60 mm and 185.40 mm of rainfall respectively. The relentless downpour since Tuesday evening has led to inundation in several villages in the Taldangra and Indus blocks of Bankura district this morning. Around 300 families from villages such as Banshgarh, Pattentul and Adhkora have been shifted to relief centres.

Sanjeev Kumar, secretary of the Damodar Valley River Regulation Committee, stated: “Considering the present water level in both reservoirs in comparison with the Guide Curve ‘A’ (indicating flood level), the predicted rainfall, and the discharge from Tenughat Dam, the current discharges from Maithon (7,000 cusecs) and Panchet (28,000 cusecs) have been planned accordingly today.”

Meanwhile, fifteen sand laden lorries stranded in queue in the Damodar riverbed following mechanical fault of one of the vehicles since last midnight hours were washed away after the Durgapur Barrage escalated discharge level beyond 36,000 cusecs. The vehicles, despite a ban on lifting sand, were loaded from a pit at Sonda village in Bankura and were trying to cross the river aiming to reach Gohogram in Galsi of East Burdwan.