Relief operations on war-footing in Darjeeling

EOI, DARJEELING, 3 Jul 2015: Relief operations have started on a war-footing in the hills of Darjeeling, devastated by a series of landslides on Tuesday night.

In Kurseong sub-divisions the administration has established three major relief centres in Tingling and Saureni Busty though more than 20 small relief camps are also in operation. In Kalimpong however because of the scattered nature of the houses no major relief centre has been set up.
“We have established three major relief centers in Kurseong but none in Kalimpong. However, we are providing all relief materials in small centers where people are taking refuge in fear,” Darjeeling District Magistrate Anurag Srivastava said. A nine member medical team led by a doctor is visiting the relief camps in Mirik to check on the injured and the children.
The district administration has already chalked out contingency plans with the monsoon just started. “We have our contingency plan in place already for the eight blocks of Darjeeling Hills. We are also on the alert and have asked our staffs to work the extra hours to meet any
future eventualities because monsoon in the Hills have just started,” said an official not wanting to be named.
The district administration is also replenishing petrol and diesels at the various pumps in Kalimpong. “We have been informed that pumps are short on petrol and diesels as the road from NH 10 is closed. Therefore we have requisitioned for fuel from the Indian Oil
Corporation,” the official said.
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has started distributing blankets, rice, dal and baby foods among others, in the relief camps in Mirik. “We have already started distributing relief materials in Mirik and will also do so in Kalimpong,” said Anit Thapa, the GTA Sabhasad from Kurseong-Giddepahar. National Highway 55 is closed from an earlier landslide but the alternative Rohini Road to Kurseong and Darjeeling is open. However
National Highway 10, the primary link to Sikkim from Siliguri, is closed because the road at Sethi jhora is blocked but is expected to be open by Saturday the district administration has said. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) service has also been disrupted by a landslide that occurred at Merry Villa 3 km outside Darjeeling town.

The district administration on Friday sought to clear the confusion over the death toll. With 22 deaths in the Kurseong sub-division, six in Kalimpong and one in Darjeeling sub-division, Srivastava put the death-toll at 29. But with administrative records putting down 12 persons
as still missing from Mirik and Kalimpong, the toll could finally cross 40. Fourteen people have been reported injured.

“On Thursday, we received information of two bodies recovered near the Nepal side. However, the information was false. In fact, today morning an unidentified female body was recovered from Panighatta in Mirik which has put the toll to 29,” Srivastav said. The unidentified body of a woman was found in Lohagarh under the Panighatta gram panchayat in Mirik.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased in landslides.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) chief Bimal Grung had announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of those dead.