HILL HAVOC

A fallen tree at railway station,  Photo Courtesy: Avyuday Naween Khaling

The thunderstorm that hit the hills on Monday night and how widespread the damage was-When did the thunderstorm start?

Around 9.30pm. It continued till 11pm

How much rain did Darjeeling get?

Till 8.30am on Tuesday, Darjeeling got 30mm of rainfall. In Kalimpong, the total rainfall was 60mm

Was the wind speed high?

No, in Darjeeling, the wind speed was around 30kmph during the storm. Compared to Aila’s peak wind speed of 120kmph in 2009, the Darjeeling thunderstorm would seem moderate. On April 18 this year, a Nor’wester hammered Calcutta with a wind speed of 116kmph

Since when has there beena power cut in Darjeeling?

Since 9.30pm on Monday.The power connections till Tuesday evening have not been restored yet

When will power lines be restored?

According to officials of WBSEDCL, power supply should be back in all parts of the town by Wednesday afternoon

Other than power, has any other vital facility affected?

Water connection was cut off in Tungsung and Bhutia Busty in Darjeeling. It is likely to be restored soon. It would not affect people much as hill residents generally store water for two-three days. Internet connections have been erratic since the storm

Are Kurseong and Kalimpong equally affected like Darjeeling?

No. The two hill subdivisions saw minor damage, nothing like Darjeeling

How many trees have been uprooted approximately?

No figure was available till Tuesday evening. According to sources, several hundred trees have been uprooted across Darjeeling subdivision, especially in the tea estates. In Darjeeling town, around a hundred uprooted trees blocked thoroughfares. A Darjeeling Tea Association official said in six gardens, labourers' quarters were damaged. He put the number of fallen trees in the gardens at “about 1,000”.

Why did so many trees fall though wind speed was moderate?

Botanists in Siliguri gave several reasons. First, the hills have more forest cover than the plains. Second, because of deforestation and consistent felling of trees in the hills, the rocks and soil that bind the roots become loose. Also, during the monsoon, the soil tends to come loose because of continuous seepage of rainwater. “This is why so many trees got uprooted in the hills on Monday night,” said A.P. Das, a faculty member in the department of botany of North Bengal University

What were the big junctions or roads that were cut off because of fallen trees?

The major areas that were cut off because of the fallen trees were Hill Cart Road, Lebong Cart Road, Mall Road, Jalapahar Road and roads in Toongsong and Bhutia Busty. The roads were cleared by 4pm on Tuesday

What has the Met department forecast?

Rain or thundershowers likely in places in sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim

Text by Avijit Sinha in Siligur