‘Heavy rains to continue in North Bengal districts’

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 3 Aug 2024, Darjeeling: Amidst rains and high-speed winds lashing the Hills since Thursday evening, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a special weather bulletin forecasting heavy rainfall to continue over North Bengal. 

Electricity supply was disrupted with uprooted trees and branches causing heavy damage to electricity poles and overhead cables in the Darjeeling Hills. Restoration work is being carried out on a war footing. 

“A low-pressure area lies over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand which will move towards west-north westwards and intensify into a Depression in the next 24 hours. 

An east-west trough runs from Rajasthan to Assam across Bengal owing to which there is strong moisture incursion. Owing to this system, very heavy to heavy rainfall is likely to occur over this region in the next 4 to 5 days” stated Gopinath Raha of IMD, Gangtok. 

Red warning signifying heavy rain has been issued for Alipurduar district. Orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Malda and Kalimpong districts. Yellow warning has been issued for North and South Dinajpur districts. This could result in landslides in hilly areas and wall collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses. 

Rise in water level in rivers like Teesta, Jaldhaka, Sankosh and Torsa has also been forecasted in the bulletin. 

“There was no major landslide reported in the Darjeeling subdivision. However, there have been incidents of trees being uprooted in some places in town including Step Aside; below Gymkhana Club. In coordination with the Darjeeling Municipality, the roads have been cleared. 

We are keeping a close watch on the situation with Quick Response Teams on standby,” stated Richard Lepcha, SDO, Darjeeling Sadar. 

Electric supply has been disrupted in different parts of the hills. “Along with town, power had been disrupted in rural areas of Pulbazar, Rangli Rangliot and the Sukhia Jorebunglow blocks. Restoration work is going on in war footing with the help of the district administration. 

Damage so far cannot be assessed as reports are yet to come in from far-flung area. Power has already been restored in most parts of town, Rungli Rungliot, Pulbarazar and parts of Sukhia-Jorebunglow blocks” stated D Khawas, Divisional manager, WBSEDCL, Darjeeling talking to the Millennium Post. power supply has been worst affected owing to high-speed winds resulting in trees and branches damaging electric poles and electric cables. 

Landslides were cleared on the NH 10 to Sikkim. Late in the afternoon light vehicles were seen plying on the highly vulnerable NH10 as rocks continued sliding down in some places. 

In the last 24 hours, recorded on Friday morning, Kurseong had received 93.2mm rainfall; Kalimpong 82 mm and Darjeeling 59 mm. 

Meanwhile, Kuti Haldar (33) of Choto Salbari, Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar died after a branch hit her when she had taken her cattle out to graze on Thursday. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/heavy-rains-to-continue-innorth-bengal-districts-574272