CALCUTTA, SEPT 25: In another dig at the West Bengal Government, the Railways on Sunday termed as ``unwise'', the release of water from two barrages of Masanjore and Tilpara that led to devastating floods in seven districts and paralysed train services. ``For the first time in living memory, train services in the entire Eastern Railways had been almost totally paralysed because of the floods which were man-made and totally avoidable,'' I I M S Rana, general manager, Eastern Railways, said while addressing a press conference on Sunday.``The government knows that it rains heavily during this part of the year and water stored at Massanjore and Tilpara barrages should be at a level that additional water need not be released in such a drastic manner,'' he said and added: ``We will take up this matter with the state government and tell them to be vigilant round the year.''Just a month back the Railways blamed the West Bengal Government for the increase in the number of robberies in trains and had attributed the same to the ``deteriorating law and order situation in the state.''Reacting to Rana's allegation, Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said, ``We had no other option left but to release water and the engineers of the barrages also approved of the decision''.State finance minister Asim Dasgupta said ``the release was as per specification of the Central Water Commission''.The ruling Left Front sees the hand of its bete noir, Union Minister for Railways and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's hand in propping her department in attacking the state government.Rana informed that train services on several sections of Eastern Railway, have been restored. Train services on the Howrah-Burdwan-Rampurhat section were restored on Sunday.Rana said two passenger trains were run on Saturday to Rampurhat. Santinekatan Express, Visva-Bharati passenger and two more shuttle trains were also running between Howrah and Rampurhat via Bardhaman.Railway link on the Howrah-Asansol-Jhajha-Patna was likely to be restored tonight, he said and added that train services to Patna and north Bihar would be normalised from September 25.The Railways also charged the state government of failing to give enough protection to trains carrying relief and railway staff. According to Rana, relief material from a train had been looted by people and railway employees were manhandled at Guptipara station.The Railways have so far suffered a loss of about Rs 50 crore due to floods, according to railway authorities. So far 12 passenger trains, all EMU coaches and three goods trains have been occupied by people rendered homeless following floods, they added.According to the state government, so far 208 people have died because of floods whereas 165 are missing - 150 of them from Murshidabad district alone. An unofficial figure however, puts the death toll at 400.``The situation is improving as rains have stopped at many places,'' West Bengal Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya said.According to Minister for public works department Khiti Goswami, the floods have brought widespread devastation. ``This time roads have been severely damaged and the loss is worth Rs 60 crore,'' Goswami said.
