3 die in road accident...Two tourists from Rajasthan and a cab driver are missing since their SUV plunged into the Teesta .... Rain cloud on tea, tourists

Rafts engaged in the search in the Teesta at Sevoke on Wednesday  (Passang Yolmo)

TT, 11 July 2019, Siliguri: Incessant rain in north Bengal has cast a cloud on tea production, halted toy train services and sparked accidents on slippery roads in which two tourists from Rajasthan are missing after their SUV fell into a swollen Teesta.

As pockets of Siliguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Darjeeling got inundated following heavy rain in the past three days, planters in the tea belt feared a fall in production and also a negative impact on quality.

“Over the next two-three days, similar weather conditions are likely to persist,” an IMD official said.

R.A. Sharma, secretary of the Dooars branch of the Tea Association of India, said continuous showers were detrimental to the growth of tea bushes as they became vulnerable to pest attacks. “Also, growth is affected by the lack of sunlight. If the rain continues, we fear that the industry will suffer as there will be a shortage in the quantity of leaves, and their quality, too, will be affected,” he said.

“Pesticides will not work as they will be washed away by the rain. Moreover, the absenteeism rate goes up during incessant rain,” Sharma added.

Landslides triggered by the rain in the Darjeeling hills halted toy train services for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. Multiple minor landslides in the past 48 hours have deposited boulders and rubble on the tracks, prompting the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways to suspend services between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.

Two tourists from Rajasthan and a cab driver are missing since their SUV skidded off a slippery NH10 and plunged into the swollen Teesta near Coronation Bridge in Sevoke while they were travelling to Gangtok from Siliguri on Wednesday. The NDRF has launched a rescue operation along with local people, but are yet to trace the trio.

Debasish Maitra, the president of the Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association, said: “The missing tourists are Gaurav Sharma and Aman Garg — both residents of Bundi in Rajasthan. Rakesh Rai, the driver who is from Siliguri, is also missing.”