Darjeeling landslides: Mamata Banerjee takes stock of situation, to visit North Bengal tomorrow

Kolkata, Oct 5 After torrential rain and landslides wreaked havoc in Darjeeling and other North Bengal areas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that she will visit them on Monday and will take an overview of the situation, rescue and relief operation.

So far, 13 people have been declared dead in rain-related and landslide incidents in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

The road connectivity between West Bengal and Sikkim was completely cut off as NH 10 was washed away by the rising Teesta River at places and has also been damaged by landslides.

Road connectivity to Kalimpong is also cut off, while several roads have been damaged, which connect Darjeeling with Siliguri. An iron bridge in Mirik collapsed, and several houses were destroyed in overflowing rivers.

The CM was in the control room in the state secretariat, monitoring the situation since Sunday morning. The Chief Minister told media persons that she will go to North Bengal on Monday along with the state Chief Secretary Manoj Pant. She will reach there by the afternoon and monitor the situation from Siliguri.

The Chief Minister said the situation in North Bengal got worse due to heavy rain in Bhutan. "North Bengal has been flooded with water from Bhutan due to the rain. This disaster is unfortunate. It is not in our hands. We are shocked to see the unfolding situation. The Chief Secretary and I have held a virtual meeting with officials of five districts of North Bengal. I have been monitoring since 6 a.m.," she said.

CM Banerjee said that more than 300 mm of continuous rain has occurred in the last 12 hours. She compared the rains in North Bengal on Saturday with the disaster that occurred in Kolkata on September 23. "It has been raining continuously for 12 hours. Landslides have occurred in a total of seven places. I am monitoring the situation. I hope to reach by 3 p.m. tomorrow (Monday)," she said.

As many tourists were stranded in the disaster in North Bengal, the CM said the state government will make arrangements for their safe return home.

"Many tourists are stranded. They should not rush now. Stay where you are. Hotels should not charge an extra fare to tourists. It is our responsibility. The administration will look into the matter," she said.

In addition, the Chief Minister has assured compensation to the families of those who died and provided jobs to their family members. So far, the compensation amount has not been disclosed by her administration.

Meanwhile, the administration has closed all places of tourist points in Darjeeling. Tourists stuck in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and other areas have been told not to venture out of their hotels.

The Meteorological Office has forecast heavy rain in North Bengal for the next two days, which is likely to worsen the situation and cause inconvenience to the rescue operations.

In the aftermath of rain, several trains have been cancelled in North Bengal, while many are running late as water filled the railway tracks in several areas.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has joined the rescue operations in the Mirik Lake area, one of the worst-hit zones. Deaths were reported from several locations -- Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), and the Mirik Lake area. At least four people were rescued from the debris in Dhar Gaon, where heavy mudslides flattened several houses.

A senior police officer said heavy and continuous rain has severely hampered rescue operations.

Meanwhile, several families in Bishnulal Gaon, Ward 3 Lake Side, and Jasbir Gaon in Mirik have been shifted to safer places as precautionary measures, while temporary relief camps have been set up in coordination with local NGOs and the district administration.

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