Rain disaster in Kolkata could have been avoided if Bengal govt had acted on warning: Amit Malviya

Kolkata, Sep 23 (IANS) BJP IT cell chief and party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, on Tuesday accused the Mamata Banerjee government of “criminal negligence” over the rain-induced disaster in Kolkata.

He claimed that it could have been avoided had the state acted on warnings issued by the Meteorological Department a month ago.

Large parts of the city were submerged after a single night of heavy rain, leading to severe waterlogging, power outages, and multiple deaths due to electrocution from submerged live wires.

Malviya also described the current disaster as “a direct result of the criminal negligence and breathtaking apathy” of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim.

“The Alipore MET department issued a warning a month ago about incessant rainfall during Puja. One month! Their response? Absolute, deafening silence. No plans. No preparation. They just sat back and let the waters rise. This isn’t just a governance failure; it’s a deliberate betrayal of every single person in this city,” Malviya said in a post on X.

Malviya also claimed that illegal pond-filling, unauthorized constructions, and negligence in upgrading the drainage system in the city resulted in the current pathetic situation in Kolkata.

“The dreams of thousands of small traders have been washed away, with CRORES in goods lost forever. This is the tragic reality of Mamata’s promise to make Kolkata like London — a hollowed-out, flooded shell where citizens pay the ultimate price for corruption. This is a man-made deluge of epic proportions,” Malviya added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, said the government had opened a 24-hour control room at the state secretariat to monitor the situation. She claimed she was personally overseeing relief and rescue operations.

“I am not going to inaugurate any Durga Puja pandal today. I will only join a few inaugurations in the districts virtually. We all have to remain cautious for the next few days,” the CM said.

--IANS

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