Urgent need of action for the Disasters in Darjeeling: A Crisis Years in the Making

KalimNews, December 3, 2025 : On October 3, 2025, Darjeeling, famously known as the Queen of the Hills, once again bore the brunt of catastrophic rainfall that caused widespread destruction, loss of life, and disruption. The event underscores a long-standing crisis exacerbated by unsustainable development, climate change, and systemic institutional failures. This tragic incident is not an isolated disaster but a crisis years in the making, deeply intertwined with both regional and national vulnerabilities.

The October 3 Disaster: Devastation and Destruction

The heavy rainfall, which started on the night of October 3, 2025, exceeded the hefty rainfall warning issued just 12 hours before by the Indian Meteorological Department. The intense downpour, lasting six hours, wreaked havoc across Darjeeling, particularly impacting the Dudhia bridge over the Balason River, which links the town of Siliguri with the tourist hub of Mank. The bridge's collapse severed vital connectivity and disrupted both national and state highways, leading to logistical paralysis. Multiple landslides followed, exacerbating the damage and hindering rescue operations conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies. Tragically, several human lives were lost, and infrastructure was destroyed in this unprecedented natural calamity.

Darjeeling's Long History with Natural Disasters

While natural disasters in Darjeeling are not new, their scope and intensity have escalated in recent decades. Historical records reveal that the region has faced several devastating landslides and floods. Notable instances occurred in 1899, 1934, 1950, 1968, 1975, 1980, 1991, 2011, and 2015. A particularly destructive flood in 1968, which also took place in October, killed over a thousand people. More recently, in 2015, Darjeeling was again devastated by floods and landslides, underscoring a recurring pattern of destruction.

In his article, The Disaster in Darjeeling: A Crisis Years in the Making, Prof. Mahendra P. Lama highlights the region’s vulnerability, citing reports such as the State of Environment Report, 1991, by the Centre for Science and Environment, which noted nine cloudbursts in the Teesta Valley between 1902 and 1978. Such events, while part of the region’s natural history, have become increasingly severe due to modern-day factors.

Factors Amplifying the Crisis: Climate Change and Unsustainable Development

While Darjeeling's history of natural disasters is long, the environment in which they occur has changed drastically over the years, making these events even more catastrophic. Prof. Lama points to several factors that have amplified the vulnerability of the region:

1. Population Growth and Land Morphic Changes: Increased migration from the plains and neighbouring countries has led to rapid population growth, putting undue pressure on the region’s fragile ecosystem. Changes in land use and urbanisation in the last three decades have worsened the situation.

2. Climate Change: The impact of climate change is increasingly visible, with altered rainfall patterns contributing to more intense and unpredictable weather. The once relatively steady monsoon season, known locally as sawnagy han (monsoon shower), has been replaced by sporadic, torrential rainfall, known as mushaldharevarsha, leading to flash floods and landslides.

3. Uncontrolled Development: Unsustainable infrastructure development, such as hydropower projects, railways, hotels, and other constructions, has further compromised the delicate carrying capacity of the hills. The region’s fragile landscape has been altered by such development, causing significant environmental stress.

4. Unplanned Settlements and Riverbed Encroachment: Unauthorised settlements in flood-prone riverbeds and stream corridors have exacerbated flooding, blocking natural water flow and clogging drainage systems.

A Tragedy Foretold

Despite the region’s long history of natural disasters and the repeated warnings from various institutions, governments have failed to take effective action. According to the Landslide Atlas of India 2023, published by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Darjeeling ranks 35th among 147 districts in terms of landslide vulnerability. Prof. Lama notes that local NGOs, such as Save the Hills, led by Col. Praful Rao, have been consistently raising alarms through social media campaigns and awareness drives. Yet, little has been done to mitigate the risks.

The 2023 disaster in Sikkim, caused by the Chungthang Hydropower Project, serves as a grim reminder of the region’s vulnerability. This hydropower project, which led to the destruction of several public and military installations, caused damages totalling over Rs. 25,000 crore—almost 60% of Sikkim's GDP in 2022-23. The subsequent damage in Darjeeling and the neighbouring Jalpaiguri district, along with unaccounted destruction in Bangladesh, reveals the full scale of these environmental and infrastructure challenges.

Institutional Failures and the Lack of Urgency

The response to the recent disaster highlights a significant institutional failure. Despite the repeated warnings, the central and state governments have shown little urgency in warning the hill communities and managing disaster relief. Local administrative institutions, such as the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and municipal bodies, lack the necessary resources, knowledge, and manpower to address such crises effectively.

Prof. Lama criticises the state of Darjeeling’s municipal governance, which, despite its historical legacy of good governance, has failed to keep pace with the growing challenges. The absence of a simple solid waste management unit in Darjeeling’s municipalities, established in the 1860s, is a testament to systemic failures that have compounded the region’s vulnerability to disasters.

National Security Implications

The implications of climate change and environmental degradation in Darjeeling extend beyond local and regional concerns. As Prof. Lama explains, the impact of these disasters has profound national security ramifications. Darjeeling’s products—its tea, medicinal plants, tourism, and educational institutions—have been integral to India’s journey of globalisation and its foreign exchange earnings. Climate change has threatened the very foundation of these industries, thereby eroding India’s economic and national security interests.

Additionally, Darjeeling's strategic location in the “Chicken’s Neck” area, which links India to its northeast region and neighbouring countries, makes it a critical geopolitical hotspot. Given these factors, Prof. Lama advocates for a national climate change studies and disaster management centre for the entire Eastern Himalayan region, encompassing India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Tibet. He points out that the longstanding plea to convert the historic Forest Rangers College in Kurseong into such a centre remains unaddressed, highlighting the government's failure to act.

A Call for Immediate Action

The disaster in Darjeeling on October 3, 2025, is a clear signal that urgent action is needed to address the root causes of environmental degradation, unsustainable development, and institutional failure in the region. Prof. Lama’s call for a national approach to climate change and disaster management, along with the establishment of dedicated climate institutions, is crucial. If the lessons from this tragedy are not learned, Darjeeling’s future—and by extension, India’s national security—will remain at grave risk.

The region’s beauty, biodiversity, and economic contributions are too important to ignore. It is time for both the central and state governments to act decisively and protect Darjeeling from the ever-growing environmental and developmental challenges it faces. Immediate intervention is not just a matter of local concern but a critical national interest.