North Bengal battles chaos as heavy rain triggers landslides and flooding; child among two killed

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Incessant rainfall accompanied by gusty winds lashed parts of north Bengal for over 24 hours, triggering landslides, damaging homes, uprooting trees, and leading to severe waterlogging in several towns on Wednesday. Two people, including a six-year-old girl, died in separate incidents of landslides in the Darjeeling district.

According to The Telegraph Online, weather stations recorded 72 mm of rain in Darjeeling, 64 mm in Siliguri, and 63 mm in Malda over the past day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert forecasting further heavy rain in north Bengal and neighbouring Sikkim over the coming days.

In Darjeeling, minor landslides occurred across several municipal wards, blocking key roads and damaging property. A house in Takdah, Rongli Rongliot block, was hit by a falling tree. A landslide was also reported at the Pulung Dong tea estate in Sukhiapokhri block.

Tragedy reportedly struck in Charchare Bari Jamuney under Pulbazar police station limits, where 32-year-old Pranit Jogo, an excavator driver, was buried under debris. In a separate incident at Lower Goke, six-year-old Samanta Subba lost her life in similar circumstances.

A source in the Darjeeling district disaster management office was cited by The Telegraph Online that the hills had been witnessing strong winds and heavy rain since Tuesday evening. The Tenzing Norgay Road in Darjeeling was blocked in the morning due to a landslide and reopened after debris clearance in the afternoon by a quick response team from the civil defence department.

Elsewhere, a landslide occurred on NH10 near Swetijhora, around 35 km from Siliguri. The debris disrupted traffic for several hours before it was cleared and movement resumed around 1.30 pm. In Malda, heavy downpour caused waterlogging in at least six wards of the town, affecting an estimated 10,000 residents. Subhaspally, Prantapally, Sarbamangalapally, Krishnapally, Malanchapally, and adjacent areas were submerged under knee-deep water, The Telegraph Online reported.

Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, chairman of the civic body, responded that drainage upgrades were underway. “It rained heavily over the past 48 hours. The water started receding in the evening. People are aware that we are sincerely working for the improvement of the drainage system," he was quoted by The Telegraph Online as saying.

Residents have voiced frustration at the recurring problem. A government employee reported lamenting that the civic body’s repeated promises of improvement during monsoon had delivered little change.

The situation also triggered political heat with the BJP questioning the utilisation of Rs 3 crore sanctioned for upgrading the town’s sewerage system under the Trinamool Congress-led Englishbazar municipality.