Mamata blames Bangladesh for Atrai Dam issue!

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly reacted to Bangladesh for the collapse of a dam built on the Indian side of the Atrai river. In an administrative meeting held in Uttarkanya, Jalpaiguri on Wednesday, she claimed that the residents of Dakshin Dinajpur are being deprived of water from the Atrai river because a bordering country (indirectly Bangladesh) has built a dam in collaboration with China.

Mamata said, “Our work has been limited because a bordering country—I won’t mention the name—has built a dam in collaboration with China. We have repeatedly informed the central government, but there has been no result.”

She further added, “When the water of the Atrai river was completely blocked, the center did not say anything. But now the state government is being blamed for the dam breaking. We have already ordered an investigation and punitive action has been taken against those responsible.”

Incidentally, the West Bengal government's Rs 30 crore dam built on the Atrai River collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday (May 20) due to strong currents. Its construction was completed just four months ago. In February, the guardwall also collapsed, which was temporarily repaired by dumping sandbags.

After the dam collapse, the Union Minister of State for Education and the BJP MP from Balurghat visited the site and blamed the state government. The next day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her anger in an administrative meeting by pointing at Bangladesh and China.

At that time, she also raised the issue of the Teesta river and warned the neighboring state of Sikkim. She said, "There is no water in the Teesta due to 14 hydro projects in Sikkim. All the water is flowing into Bengal. How did the central government approve these projects?"

Finally, Mamata Banerjee warned, "If someone thinks they will breathe on Bengal, then we can also breathe. No one should cross the border."