The state government has allowed entry of trucks loaded with essential commodities like vegetables, medicines, fruits, milk etc from Jharkhand to West Bengal through the Duburdih check post on NH-19, near Asansol from 4.30 pm today.
The trucks carrying essential commodities and other materials were stranded in the Bengal-Jharkhand border since evening yesterday.
However, other trucks are still barred from entering the state and police and motor vehicles department officials are allowed after checking the papers.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has threatened to stop vehicles entering from West Bengal after the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) has sealed the Bengal-Jharkhand border at Duburdih check-post with barricades upon national highway 19 since last evening.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has announced to seal the Bengal-Jharkhand border for three days, last evening, alleging that water released from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) from its Maithon, Panchet dams situated in Jharkhand on Damodar has been responsible for ‘man-made flood’ in the state before the Durga Pujas.
“We need to restrict the vehicles entering into our state in wake of the alarming flood situation in south Bengal districts,” she had said.
A day ago, she had even spoken to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and urged her to stop allowing water release from DVC dams. And despite her request, DVC released water from its dams continuously.
Ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) defended the action of DVC and claimed that in case of heavy rainfall, water release from dams is normal. “Since the past one week, there had been heavy rainfall in Jharkhand, leading to water increase in the dams,” justified JMM spokesperson and general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya. His party has threatened to stop vehicles entering Jharkhand from West Bengal if the blockade is not withdrawn immediately.
Since last evening, there has been heavy traffic jams in the Jharkhand border as thousands of trucks have been stranded. The truck drivers claimed that they are carrying perishable materials and will face huge trouble if the trucks are stranded there for three days.
Today morning, two block development officers (BDO) of Dhanbad district, Indra Kumar and Madhu Kumari came to Duburdih check post near Asansol and talked with the check post and Kulti police officials urging them to withdraw the blockade.
“I have told the officials here that though vehicles are allowed to enter Jharkhand but no vehicles are allowed to enter West Bengal. It is causing huge problems on our side,” said Indra Kumar, BDO of Nirsa.
While Madhu Kumari, BDO of Egarkund block said that it is matter of the state government and she will submit her report to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Dhanbad, Madhvi Mishra and senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Dhanbad, HP Janardhan.
Two truck drivers, Manirul Sheikh and Neeraj Kumar Sharma coming from Munger in Bihar and Jaipur in Rajasthan said that they were going to Kolkata and Midnapore, but were stopped at the border.
Delhi-Kolkata NH-19 is the busiest highway in eastern India with an annual vehicular growth rate of over 10 per cent. It is also one of the gateways to eastern India and every several thousands of trucks and heavy vehicles pass through both the ways.