Rain, landslides hit Sikkim, West Bengal ahead of peak tourist season- The Week

Darjeeling and Kalimpong in North Bengal and Sikkim have been severely affected by devastating landslides caused by relentless rain over the past few days. Several roads, including Sikkim’s lifeline National Highway 10, have been shut down even as the Durga Puja tourist season is near. The Teesta River has risen above the danger level, even breaching the bank at some locations.

Since Wednesday, heavy rainfall has led to power outages in various areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. The situation worsened with landslides beginning on Friday and continuing into Saturday morning due to overnight rain. In response, the Kalimpong district administration has issued guidelines and temporarily closed National Highway 10. 

Besides the National Highway, landslides have affected areas including Darjeeling College, Rimbik, and Sukhiapokhri in the Darjeeling district, as well as Bhalukhop and Melli in Kalimpong. Furthermore, the release of water from multiple dams in the Teesta River has worsened the crisis.

The Teesta Bazar area in Kalimpong has experienced flooding due to Teesta’s overflowing. In the downstream Jalpaiguri district, the government has been alerting the residents in Takmari and Malbazar sub-division about possible flood dangers.

Yogita Chhetri, a member of the local Teesta gram panchayat in Kalimpong, told THE WEEK over the phone, “The situation is so bad that even the PWD is struggling to work properly. On Friday PWD workers arrived with a JCB to remove boulders but due to heavy rain and fresh landslides they stopped midway.”

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has planned a visit to Siliguri on Sunday to evaluate the situation in North Bengal. She is expected to conduct an administrative meeting during her visit.

The situation in Sikkim is similarly dire, with the India Meteorological Department issuing a red alert. Reportedly North Sikkim’s Mangan has been cut off from the rest of the state, and numerous homes in Soreng district’s Daramdin have been damaged.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang urged residents to refrain from non-essential travel and to avoid areas prone to flooding and landslides. He reassured the public that the state government is closely monitoring the situation and implementing all necessary precautions.

Since October of last year, the regions along the Teesta riverbed in Sikkim and Darjeeling have been grappling with severe distress. This began with a catastrophic glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from South Lhonak Lake, which caused extensive damage to both public and private infrastructure, affecting over 80,000 people. Earlier this year, during the pre-monsoon period, the area experienced further challenges with flooding and landslides.

A recurrence of this situation just before the peak tourist season in the festive month of October and the upcoming winter could negatively impact the region, where tourism drives the economy.  

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