Heavy rainfall in Barakar cathement area causes increase in outflow

In the last 24 hours there is 88.4 mm rainfall in the Barakar cathement area causing increase in outflow of water from Maithon Dam. The combined release controlled by DVC  was @ 85,000 Cusec at 10.30 a.m  today out of which Maithon had @ 35,000 Cusec and Panchet had @ 50,000 Cusec. There is further heavy rainfall in Durgapur catchement area with a record of 90 mm approximately. From 08.00 p.m tonight down Durgapur outflow is 1,00,000 Cusec which may increase roughly by 15,000 Cusec more when the full load of combined discharge will reach Durgapur.

One thing is to be noted that DVC does not control the release from Durgapur barrage. It is controlled by Govt. of West Bengal. Actually DVC releases water after getting clearence from the Central Water Commission from both the Panchet and Maithon Dams. After the release from both the Dams, the water reaches Durgapur barrage after 10 to 12 hours. The riverine path in between the said two dams and Durgapur barrage, contains good number of small canals and cathement area which add more water to the combined release from DVC. Once it reaches Durgapur barrage, the Durgapur barrage has to release the full inflow of DVC as Durgapur barrage has no significant capacity to modify the release of combined release from DVC dams. After the release from Durgapur barrage, there are further many a river, canal, uncontrolled cathement area which further add water to down Durgapur outflow.

So, in brief, release from Durgapur contains the release of combined release from Maithon and Panchet and  further enhanced by the water of down Durgapur areas.

Of late it is much critised in some media that state government compelled DVC to release water in a controlled manner which might cause DVC to release high discharge at a time. It might cause huge flood. But this type of reporting is devoid of ground reality and quite misleading.

Rainfall occurs in different catchement areas in different times. Further the intensity of rainfall is not uniform in nature and highly uncertain. In last few days, state govt. took a very wise decision by asking DVC to release water in a controlled manner. If DVC discharged water according to the maximum permissible limit of DVRRC manual it might cause huge flood since down Maithon and Panchet dams and down Durgapur barrage were loaded with heavy rainfall simultaneously. As discharge from Maithon and Panchet roughly (For 1,00000 Cusec) takes 10-12 hours time to reach Durgapur, if DVC controlled release in a low rate for few hours, by that time the water came from down Panchet and Maithon and Down Durgapur might be cleared. So, at that stage increase release from Panchet and Maithon might not increase the release from Durgapur any more. It was actually happened in last few days.

So, the decision of the state govt. is a practical and prudent one.