5000 stranded as Teesta swells, alert sounded

Sukantapally, on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, was flooded on Wednesday. 

The area does not have an embankment. Picture by Biplab Basak

TT, July 1: At least 5,000 people living in unprotected areas along the banks of the Teesta are stranded for the past 24 hours as water level in the river rose after continuous rain.

The North Bengal Flood Control Commission has issued a red (secondary) alert in the unprotected areas (places without embankments) on the banks of the Teesta from Gazoldoba (near the Teesta Barrage) to Mekhliganj (where the river enters Bangladesh).

In Sikkim, two persons went missing after a hut in which they were sleeping was swept away by the Rangpo today.

The Jalpaiguri district administration has engaged civil defence volunteers for rescue and relief operations in the flooded areas and officials are apprehensive of more places getting inundated as heavy to very heavy rain has been forecast in sub-Himalayan north Bengal in the next 48 hours.

"Because of heavy rain in upstream Teesta, 5,500cumec (cubic metre per second) of water was released from the Gazoldoba barrage this morning, which is much higher than the usual discharge of around 4,000cumec in the rainy season. Later, the flow was reduced to 4,200cumec but the additional water led to inundation in some areas in the unprotected areas downstream," said an administrative source.

As the river swelled, at least eight villages in Jalpaiguri Sadar and Rajganj blocks were flooded leaving around 5,000 people stranded. The inundated areas include Takimari and Nathuar Char villages.

"On the other (left) bank of the river, some villages in Mainaguri and Malbazar blocks got inundated. Among these are Basusuba and Champadanga in Malbazar and Padamati in Mainaguri block. This has happened because of additional release of water from the Teesta. There is no risk of flooding in the protected areas," Subhankar Chakraborty, the superintending engineer of the NBFCC, said.

In Mainaguri block, Burmanpara and Chaprar Par areas were waterlogged after a crack developed in the embankment.

Chakraborty said they would repair the embankment once the water receded.

Sources in the India Meteorological Department said it had rained 40 per cent more than the normal in the past seven days in Darjeeling district. "Compared to the normal rain of around 163.7mm, in the past seven days it has rained around 228.8mm - 40 per cent more. In Sevoke, where the Teesta enters into the plains, it rained 222mm in the past 24 hours itself," said a source.

Sources at the Met department said the southwest monsoon was active over sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim.

"There is forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in the next 48 hours. This means, it might rain between 70mm and 240mm (in some areas). There is a forecast of moderate to heavy rainfall in Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts," an IMD official said.

Sources at Trishakti Corps of the Army in Sukna said two task forces had been deployed in Jalpaiguri for rescue and relief operations in areas where people are stranded.

In Sikkim, two labourers working at a construction site were swept away by the swollen Rangpo this morning.

Amrita Thapa, 30, her husband Kaley Thapa and Chimirkey Pradhan, 35, were sleeping in a makeshift hut close to the Rangpo, a rivulet flowing through Kumrek village in East Sikkim. Around 3am, the hut was washed away.

Kaley managed to swim to safety. A police team and local people are trying to trace the two others.