Major parts of North Bengal, Sikkim impacted due to incessant rains

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 13 July 2019 | Darjeeling: Rains continued in North Bengal and Sikkim on Saturday with the National Highway 10 remaining shut owing to a fresh landslide. It was later reopened after the debris were removed.

A landslide occurred at the Okhra village in Milling Tea Estate under Jorebungalow Police Station. "10 houses were affected in the landslide. The families residing in these houses have been shifted to safe areas," stated Mingma Lepcha, Officer-in-Charge of the police station. The Joint Block Development Officer of the Jorebungalow-Sukhiapokhari block visited the affected area. No one was injured in the landslide nor there was any case of injury reported.

A tree fell on the way to Bhutia-bustee below the Chowrasta in Darjeeling in which a person received minor injuries.

A fresh slide occurred at 29th Mile on the NH-10 to Sikkim. A large part of the road here sunk and broke away in the 29th Mile area.

Incidentally, the NH-10 had been closed down owing to a major landslide at Setijhora. However, at 6:30 pm on Friday the road had reopened to vehicular traffic to be closed down after fresh landslide occurred on NH-10 on Saturday.

At around 2 pm, the PWD workers managed to clear the debris. The road was open again. "However, this road is highly vulnerable with rocks constantly sliding down along with the debris," stated a police personnel. Serpentine jams were seen on both sides of the landslide. Police personnel were deployed to ease the traffic situation.

Heavy vehicles were not allowed through the NH-55 to Darjeeling owing to the damage caused to a culvert at Tung. While some vehicles were diverted via Dilaram, Bagora, Chimney; some preferred the Mirik route. Few vehicles were allowed through Tung also.

In the plains, large tracts of land in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar have been inundated. Incessant rains in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan have caused the rivers to swell. In many areas banks of the rivers are facing erosion.

Darjeeling received 62.9 mm; Kalimpong 33 mm; Kurseong 102.4 mm and Siliguri 91 mm in the past 24 hours. Raju Bista, Member of Parliament, Darjeeling, has spoken to the Joint Secretary, Disaster Management, Government of India, to provide additional relief and personnel to assist the civic administration to help clear the roads.