West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited flood-affected Ghatal and a relief camp in Arambagh as the region continues to grapple with severe flooding triggered by relentless rainfall and a massive water release from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
The Chief Minister began her day with a visit to Ramakrishna Math in Kamarpukur, where she laid the foundation stone for a guest house, bhog ghar, and parking centre. During the visit, she also announced the formation of the Joyrambati-Kamarpukur Development Board, with an initial corpus of ₹10 crore to support ongoing development work in the spiritually significant region.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Banerjee said, “It was a poignant reminder of the timeless teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Maa Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda that continue to inspire and guide us.”
Later in the day, she visited a flood relief camp in Arambagh, where she personally served meals at the community kitchen and interacted with those displaced by the floods. She then proceeded to Ghatal, where flooding has worsened following what she termed the “unilateral release” of 51,000 lakh cubic metres of water by the DVC.
Despite the financial constraints imposed by the central government, Banerjee assured affected residents that the “Maa, Mati, Manush” government remains committed to their welfare.
“Rescue and relief operations are being carried out swiftly. The ₹1,500 crore Ghatal Master Plan is underway, with ₹500 crore already allocated in the current financial year,” she said.
This marks the fourth instance of flooding in Ghatal this year. In an earlier incident on July 14, at least three people, including a 7-year-old girl, lost their lives due to heavy flooding in the Paschim Medinipur district.
Banerjee’s visit underscores the state government’s efforts to manage the ongoing crisis and accelerate developmental and relief measures in flood-prone areas of West Bengal.
