‘Ripple effects of Sikkim disaster felt in the plains of Bengal also’

MP, 4 Oct 2023 :  Ripple effects of the flash flood and breaching of a dam in North Sikkim were felt as far as Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar in the plains of Bengal. People residing along the Teesta River continue to face major challenges.

Large areas in the Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts have been inundated due to the rising water levels of the Teesta River. Efforts are underway to relocate residents to safer locations with various agencies, including the administration, Border Security Force (BSF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) collaborating on rescue and relief operations.

A high-level meeting of the Bengal government attended by ministers, bureaucrats and district administration is scheduled to take place on Thursday to review the situation. The Irrigation minister and North Bengal Development department minister are scheduled to attend the meeting to be held tentatively in Jalpaiguri. In Nathua Char area of Jalpaiguri, the embankments were damaged in some areas resulting in extensive flooding. Water has also inundated Domohani, Basusuba and adjacent areas. The district administration of Jalpaiguri has reported significant damage in Jalpaiguri Sadar, Mainaguri, Mal and Kranti block areas along the Teesta River.

So far, approximately 3,288 people have been rescued from these four blocks and relocated to safe shelters, with 17 such camps established. As a precautionary measure, all schools in these four blocks have been temporarily closed. Three bodies have been recovered from the Gajoldoba area. According to information from the Jalpaiguri district Irrigation department’s Flood Control, all the lock gates of the Teesta barrage had to be opened due to the high water pressure. Authorities have restricted heavy traffic on the barrage. The flooding has also caused damage to various guides and dams along the Teesta River. However, the district administration has initiated repair work on these structures.

Khandbahale Umesh Ganpat, the District Superintendent of Police, stated that Civil Defence, NDRF personnel and additional police personnel have been deployed in the affected areas of Mal, Jalpaiguri Sadar, Kranti and Mainaguri blocks to manage the flood situation.

“The situation in these four blocks is closely being monitored. Evacuation of local residents has been successfully carried out and precautions are being taken to prevent people from entering the river. We are using public address systems (miking) to raise awareness among the local population.”

Inspector General of Police of the North Bengal Range, Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi and the District Superintendent of Police visited the Balapara area near the Teesta River. Shama Parveen, the District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri, stated: “The situation is gradually returning to normal and the water level has started receding. Several guiding dams have sustained damage due to the force of the water, but repair work has commenced.”

Meanwhile, the administration has taken proactive measures in the Mekhliganj area of Cooch Behar district. Evacuation efforts are in progress, with residents being relocated across the Teesta River in emergency operations. The BSF has joined forces with the administration to assist in these efforts. Evacuations are currently underway at the Kuchlibari border in the Mekhliganj block of Cooch Behar district. Teesta River water has already entered the Singpara and Char areas of Kuchlibari in the Mekhliganj block. Wartime rescue operations are being conducted by the 40th Battalion of the Jalpaiguri sector of the BSF along with support from local civil defense teams and the district administration.

Ramkumar Tamang, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Mekhliganj, stated: “Due to the situation in Sikkim, the water level of the Teesta River has risen significantly. All residents living in the Teesta River area of Mekhliganj have been successfully rescued and accommodated in various relief centres. The administration is ensuring their needs are met, from shelter to food. Around 600 people from the riverside area have already been rescued and relocated to these centres and we continue to monitor the situation closely.”