Rain in Darjeeling hills triggers multiple fresh landslides, halting traffic on NH10

 Cooch Behar resident dies after tree branch falls; warning of more showers and landslides issued

Avijit Sinha Siliguri, TT, 02.08.24 : Fresh bouts of showers in the Darjeeling hills and in some places in the plains of the sub-Himalayan Bengal triggered multiple landslides and halted traffic on NH10 on Thursday, a day after the highway, known as the lifeline of Sikkim and Kalimpong, was reopened for light vehicles after a gap of one month.

In southern parts of the state, it rained heavily in many places.

The downpour also led to thunderstorms and a woman died in Cooch Behar after a tree branch fell on her. The thunderstorm also caused some damage in the district.

In Kalimpong, a fresh landslide occurred at 28th Mile, between Teesta Bazar and Likhu Veer, and stopped traffic movement that resumed along the route on Wednesday morning. Later, another slide at Birik Dara, another vulnerable spot in the route.

“As the highway was opened for light vehicles yesterday, it was mentioned that cars will move in single plank along five spots, which include Birik Dara. A fresh slide occurred today and snapped the connectivity again,” said a source.

The slides brought down rubbles and boulders, damaging the road that was recently restored. The NH division of the state PWD has taken the task to clear the debris, sources said.

While the regional Met office in Calcutta has forecasted more rainfall during the next couple of days across the region along with thunderstorms, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has issued red (secondary) and orange (primary) alerts for different areas of Kalimpong district concerning landslides.

“There is a very high possibility of landslide occurrences in Gorubathan and Kalimpong-I blocks and widespread landslide may occur in these blocks. Also, there is a high possibility of landslide occurrences in Lava and Pedong blocks and multiple slides can occur in these blocks,” said the alert.

In Cooch Behar, Kuti Haldar (55) of Choto Salbari, which is under Sitalkuchi police station, died after a tree branch fell on her while she was grazing cattle.

Ravi Barman, who is from Mirapara under the same police station, got injured as he was struck by lightning. He is under treatment at a rural hospital. In Rangamati of Sitalkuchi, a tree fell on a house, damaging it and injuring a person.

In some other locations of Cooch Behar, trees fell on houses shops, and two-wheelers. Officials of the concerned blocks have visited the spot to assess the damage.

According to IMD sources, there is a forecast of rainfall and thunderstorms across sub-HImalayan Bengal and Sikkim.

“Such rains can cause landslides and disrupt traffic movement. People should

be on alert,” said a weather expert.

In south Bengal, normal life was affected in many districts today due to spells of heavy rain. The downpour, Met office sources said, is likely to continue during the next two days.

While heavy rainfall was witnessed at some places over Hooghly, East and West Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, North and South 24 Paraganas districts, the region is preparing for potentially more rainfall and thundershowers during the next two days.

Because of the incessant downpour, a stretch of a newly-built service road along NH12 in Ranaghat of Nadia caved in, disrupting vehicular movement.

The IMD office has issued a ‘yellow’ warning (to remain updated and careful) for a possible heavy downpour affecting places over West Burdwan, Birbhum, and Purulia. Such rains might lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas and there can be a drop in visibility, said the experts.

“There is a cyclonic circulation over Gangetic Bengal and neighbourhood. The monsoon axis passes over Bankura and Canning to North East Bay of Bengal, which is why, there is a forecast of heavy rain in all south Bengal districts till Friday,” said a source.

Additional reporting by Subhasish Chaudhuri in Calcutta

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph