Incessant rains cause havoc in Darjeeling and Sikkim

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 19 June 2023 | Darjeeling: Incessant rainfall has triggered landslides and flash floods, causing extensive damages in the hills of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Roads, bridges and houses have been extensively damaged. Loss of livestock has also been reported. 

The Indian Meteorological Department has issued rainfall weather warnings for the region. The Darjeeling district disaster management department reported that the worst affected are Pulbazar block, Rangli Rangliot block in the Darjeeling sub-division; Kurseong block; Mirik municipality area and Mirik block in the Mirik sub-division. Gorkhey, Samaden, Srikhola and Takbia Busty have been badly hit as well. 

The NTPC road to Takbia has been washed away. The steel bridge under construction at Srikhola has been severely damaged. The Nakdah bridge at Lekhkharka connecting Sikkim has been swept away along with Mahabir bridge connecting Rajabhir with Lower Okhray in Sikkim. 

The Timburay bridge connecting Gurdum forest village is reported to be severely damaged. An ICDS building has also been ravaged in Rimbik Gram Panchayat. Gorkhey and Samaden villages have been cut off. Around eight houses have been damaged in the Mirik Bazar area along with eight others partially affected in the Mirik block. 

Relief materials, including tarpaulin, have been distributed to 10 families in Mirik. One house has been damaged in Rangli Rangliot block along with four others in Narbung and Sepoydhura tea estate in the Kurseong block. 

“The district control room is operational round-the-clock. We are closely monitoring the situation,” stated Raman Gupta of the district disaster management department, Darjeeling. Torrential rains have triggered multiple landslides in West Sikkim district causing flash floods in the upper regions. A bridge was washed away at Simphok. 

Media reports state that nearly 100 houses have been affected with heavy damages in Dentam sub-division in Gyalsing district. The IMD has issued an orange rainfall warning for the next three days in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim. 

“Red warning has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall with more than 20 cm of rains expected in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar. However, the rainfall intensity will come down after Thursday,” stated Gopinath Raha of IMD, Gangtok. 

As per IMD records, in the last 24 hours (recorded on Monday morning), Darjeeling recorded 13.6 mm rains; Kalimpong 8.4 mm; Sevoke 145.8 mm; Jalpaiguri 62.6 mm; Alipurduar 140.2 mm; Cooch Behar 55.4 mm; Siliguri 28.4 mm and Gangtok 68.1 mm. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/incessant-rains-cause-havoc-in-darjeeling-and-sikkim-522675