Darjeeling, 5 October (H.S.) Torrential rains since Saturday night have devastated the entire hilly region of North Bengal, including Darjeeling. Landslides have occurred in the mountains, sweeping away numerous houses, and 17 people have been confirmed dead so far. Local residents said that Darjeeling last witnessed such devastating devastation in 1998. Twenty-seven years later, the same horrific scene has returned.
As per information, a portion of the Dudhiya Bridge over the Balason River was washed away by the rain late Saturday night, completely cutting off communication between Siliguri and Mirik. A house collapsed in Daragaon near Soureni, while four to five houses were washed away in the Upper Dudhiya and Damfeder areas.
The BSF camp was also affected. By Sunday morning, the administration had confirmed nine deaths in Mirik, seven in Sukiapokhari, and one in Bijanbari.
A large number of tourists had arrived in Darjeeling during the Durga Puja holidays. But now, hundreds of people are stranded due to rain and landslides.
Most flights have been cancelled. The administration is evacuating tourists and local people to safer locations, but rescue operations are proceeding at a very slow pace due to bad weather.
The Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) has closed major tourist destinations like Tiger Hill and Rock Garden for a day.
Relief camps are being set up in several parts of Darjeeling.
Landslides also occurred on NH-10 on Saturday night, although some sections were repaired by Sunday afternoon.
Pankhabari Road, the main route to Darjeeling, is very treacherous, but travellers are currently being evacuated using this route.
The exact number of stranded tourists is still unknown.
GTA chief and Prajatantrik Morcha leader Anit Thapa said that 15 deaths have been reported in the Mirik area alone.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said, Heavy rains in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts have caused significant loss of life and property.
He wrote on social media, We are monitoring the situation and BJP workers have been instructed to participate in relief work.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that she will arrive in North Bengal on Monday and monitor the situation from Siliguri.
On her instructions, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb and District Magistrate Preeti Goyal inspected Dudhiya Bridge on Sunday afternoon. Engineering teams are working to prepare alternative routes.
Floodwater has also inundated several areas of Siliguri. The Mahananda River embankment breach in the Porajhar area inundated several villages.
The situation in Cooch Behar worsened since Sunday morning. Water has entered nearly 20 wards of the city, with many areas flooded up to the knees and waist-deep in water.
The Torsha River is rapidly rising, further increasing the risk of flooding.
A heavy rainfall alert has been issued for six districts in North Bengal.
Rainfall is currently light in North and South Dinajpur, but heavy rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours.
Rising water levels in the Ganga and Phulahar rivers have created flood-like conditions in the Manikchak block of Malda district.
Although the situation is currently under control, if rainfall continues in Bihar and Jharkhand, the rising water level of the Mahananda River could deepen the crisis.
Locals said that Darjeeling has seen such heavy rainfall before, but never before has such devastation occurred in one night.
People alleged that illegal extraction of stones and boulders from the Balasan River and reckless construction have exacerbated this disaster.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
