Heavy rains triggered more landslides in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, causing extensive damage to roads and bridges, while at least one person went missing in a landslide in Darjeeling town today.
At least four houses were also washed away and several areas, especially the lowlying ones, in Siliguri, were water-logged. Darjeeling district administrative sources said 117 houses had been fully damaged, 73 severely, while 1053 houses were partially damaged. Several roads in the Hills were closed.
However, some roads were reopened later. Meanwhile, seven flights were cancelled at the Bagdogra Airport today. There were reports throughout the day of many areas being cut off, with roads blocked by landslides.
“Access to many rural roads had been blocked due to landslides, but many have been reopened too with effort going on to open the others. The alternative route to the plains from Darjeeling like Rohini and Pankhabari was open today too, with, however, NH-55 closed due to a landslide at Mahanadi near Kurseong,” Darjeeling DM S Ponnambalam said.
Speaking about the missing person, Sonam Thapa, he said, “In an unfortunate incident that took place at midnight, a landslide occurred above the SDO bungalow in Darjeeling due to which the guard room has been covered by debris. Search is on for him by the police, civil defence and the NDRF. The landslide has also damaged the SDO Bungalow and the PWD AE Bungalow.”
According to the police, among the different roads closed today due to landslides were between Lodhama PS and Lodhama Bazar, Chongtong to Darjeeling, Jorebunglow to Bijanbari, Rimbick to Srikhola, and Lodhama to Manebhanjyang.
Apart from road blockages, houses were damaged at Singtam Fatak in Darjeeling town, where about six trees fell on one Yogesh Namchu’s house. On the other hand, Kalimpong and Sikkim remained cut off from Siliguri with two alternate routes to NH-10 and Lava closed due to landslides. However, vehicles headed for that place and vice versa were seen moving via Jorebunglow in Darjeeling.
At Lava, roads have been blocked by trees falling on them at the 9th Mile area, where tourists were also stranded, while landslides were also reported from places in Lava to Gorubathan. The route was opened to light vehicles in the evening. NH 10, on the other hand, had been closed due to a landslide at 29th Mile and other places along the way.
In the plains, locals of Sisabari under the Atharokhai gram panchayat in the Matigara block in Siliguri said at least four houses had been washed away by the raging Balasan river. The families have been shifted to a local Sisu Siksha Kendra (SSK).
Administrative officials, however, said three houses were swept away.”Twenty members of the affected families have been shifted to a local SSK,” an official said. The incessant rainfall led to waterlogging at some areas, including Asoke Nagar, Road no IV of Saktigarh, Santoshi Nagar, Ganga Nagar, and parts of Champasari in Siliguri.
The chairperson of the board of administrators of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Gautam Deb, visited some affected areas. Mr Deb will hold a meeting on disaster management with the department concerned tomorrow, it is learnt.
The SMC has activated its control room (7557035194). Member of the SMC board Ranjan Sarkar said they were monitoring the situation even during the nights from the control room.