Kolkata/Gangtok: heavy rain Several landslides started in the hilly districts of West Bengal and hill Sikkim On Wednesday, officials in both the states said bridges were damaged, highways were inundated and normal life was derailed.
National Highway 10, arterial road link Between West Bengal and Sikkim was blocked by massive landslides, while rivers were flooded, including Teesta, destroyed the villages along its banks.
Heavy rain caused landslides on 29 miles of highway in West Bengal, about 60 km from Sikkim rangpo border, obstruction of vehicular movement. Another landslide occurred at Pani House in Gangtok. Excavators and other heavy machinery have been deployed to clear the debris from the road.
The poles of a steel bridge at Rangpo, the gateway to Sikkim, were damaged due to heavy inflow of water into the Teesta river, which has been in spate for the past few days, prompting authorities to allow only light vehicles, officials said. officials said.
In West Bengal, the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, as well as Jalpaiguri, received rains, from where landslides and damage to bridges have been reported.
Video footage showed surging rivers flowing on their banks and highways submerged in Kalimpong.
The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red’ alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar, with the possibility of ‘extremely heavy rain at one or two places’ in these districts till Thursday morning.
During this time, heavy to very heavy rains are likely in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.
Officials said road connectivity at several places in Kalimpong district, connecting Kalimpong town with villages like Pedong, Lava and Algara, was snapped due to landslides.
He said National Highway 10, which connects Siliguri with Sikkim’s capital Gangtok to Teesta Bazar, was submerged in water from the Teesta river, disrupting vehicular movement.
A bridge over Balasan river at Matigara on the outskirts of Siliguri in Darjeeling district was also damaged.
Siliguri Police Commissioner Gaurav Sharma said that due to the damage to the bridge, large vehicles have been diverted to another route, while only motorcyclists and pedestrians are being allowed to use it. “We are urging people to plan long journeys to reach their destinations,” he told reporters.
Hundreds of tourists who thronged the hills during Durga Puja are facing difficulty in reaching the railway stations and Bagdogra airport due to incessant rains and landslides.
Due to the rise in the water level of Teesta and Jaldhaka rivers, many low-lying areas of Jalpaiguri district were inundated. Officials said that a large number of people are being shifted from these areas to safer places.
Darjeeling received 233.8 mm of rain, the highest rainfall in the state in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Wednesday, followed by Kalimpong (199 mm), Jalpaiguri (151 mm) and Cooch Behar (60.9 mm).
The water level of Torsa and some other rivers in the region is rising rapidly due to heavy rains.
The Meteorological Department said that the sub-Himalayan districts will see inclement weather till Thursday morning.
In the southern districts of West Bengal, which had received heavy rains since October 17 due to a low pressure system, the weather improved significantly on Wednesday, although the Met department said that one or two places of thunderstorms are likely during the day. .
National Highway 10, arterial road link Between West Bengal and Sikkim was blocked by massive landslides, while rivers were flooded, including Teesta, destroyed the villages along its banks.
Heavy rain caused landslides on 29 miles of highway in West Bengal, about 60 km from Sikkim rangpo border, obstruction of vehicular movement. Another landslide occurred at Pani House in Gangtok. Excavators and other heavy machinery have been deployed to clear the debris from the road.
The poles of a steel bridge at Rangpo, the gateway to Sikkim, were damaged due to heavy inflow of water into the Teesta river, which has been in spate for the past few days, prompting authorities to allow only light vehicles, officials said. officials said.
In West Bengal, the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, as well as Jalpaiguri, received rains, from where landslides and damage to bridges have been reported.
Video footage showed surging rivers flowing on their banks and highways submerged in Kalimpong.
The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘red’ alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar, with the possibility of ‘extremely heavy rain at one or two places’ in these districts till Thursday morning.
During this time, heavy to very heavy rains are likely in Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.
Officials said road connectivity at several places in Kalimpong district, connecting Kalimpong town with villages like Pedong, Lava and Algara, was snapped due to landslides.
He said National Highway 10, which connects Siliguri with Sikkim’s capital Gangtok to Teesta Bazar, was submerged in water from the Teesta river, disrupting vehicular movement.
A bridge over Balasan river at Matigara on the outskirts of Siliguri in Darjeeling district was also damaged.
Siliguri Police Commissioner Gaurav Sharma said that due to the damage to the bridge, large vehicles have been diverted to another route, while only motorcyclists and pedestrians are being allowed to use it. “We are urging people to plan long journeys to reach their destinations,” he told reporters.
Hundreds of tourists who thronged the hills during Durga Puja are facing difficulty in reaching the railway stations and Bagdogra airport due to incessant rains and landslides.
Due to the rise in the water level of Teesta and Jaldhaka rivers, many low-lying areas of Jalpaiguri district were inundated. Officials said that a large number of people are being shifted from these areas to safer places.
Darjeeling received 233.8 mm of rain, the highest rainfall in the state in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Wednesday, followed by Kalimpong (199 mm), Jalpaiguri (151 mm) and Cooch Behar (60.9 mm).
The water level of Torsa and some other rivers in the region is rising rapidly due to heavy rains.
The Meteorological Department said that the sub-Himalayan districts will see inclement weather till Thursday morning.
In the southern districts of West Bengal, which had received heavy rains since October 17 due to a low pressure system, the weather improved significantly on Wednesday, although the Met department said that one or two places of thunderstorms are likely during the day. .
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