KOLKATA/DARJEELING, Oct 6: The death toll from devastating landslides in North Bengal rose to 28 on Monday, with six people still missing, as rescue teams battled landslides and rising waters across the hills and Dooars. The disaster has also ignited a fierce political confrontation between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for triggering a “man-made disaster”, while the BJP accused the TMC of orchestrating an attack on its MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh while visiting the disaster-hit Nagrakata region in Jalpaiguri.
With over 300 mm of rain in 12 hours, the landslides ravaged Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts, leaving thousands of tourists stranded, hundreds homeless as several hill slopes caved in.
Rescue teams struggled to clear over 40 landslide points, as swollen rivers and broken bridges cut off remote settlements.
North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the toll was likely to rise further as rescue operations continued.
“Till now, 28 people have died and six remain missing. The deaths have been reported from both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri,” Guha told PTI.
The worst-affected areas include Mirik, Sukhiapokhri, Jorebunglow, and Nagrakata, where roads have vanished under mud, bridges collapsed, and villages lie buried under debris.
Hundreds of tourists are stranded, while locals wait anxiously for news of missing family members.
Chief Minister Banerjee, accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, flew to Bagdogra to oversee rescue operations.
She accused the DVC and the Centre of negligence. “This is a man-made disaster. The DVC releases water as per its wish to save Jharkhand, and Bengal suffers the consequences,” she said before boarding her flight.
“We have demanded desiltation of the Maithon and Panchet dams for two decades, but nothing has been done. The Centre’s negligence has cost lives,” she added.
The CM announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the kin of each of the deceased deceased and a home guard job for one family member, asserting that “Bengal will rebuild, no matter how big the loss.”
DVC RELEASES 55000 CUSECS
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released 55,000 cusecs of water from its Maithon and Panchet reservoirs, raising fresh flood concerns in the southern districts of West Bengal.
West Bengal’s Irrigation Minister Manas Bhunia claimed the DVC is releasing water every day without any coordination with his government.He told PTI that there is no fixed “safe level” for DVC water release, as the risk of flooding depends on several factors, including discharge volume and the rivers’ current capacity to carry water.
“Years of neglect in dredging and desiltation at DVC’s Maithon and Panchet dams have drastically reduced their water-holding capacity,” he said, though he did not provide technical details on the extent of the reduction.
Bhunia alleged that the DVC takes unilateral decisions with regard to the release of water.
“The Centre is treating Bengal in a step-motherly manner through DVC’s actions,” he alleged.
A senior state irrigation official said the situation is being closely monitored as rivers in the region remain swollen from recent heavy rainfall.
The DVC released 70,000 cusecs of water from its reservoirs on October 3, drawing sharp criticism from the West Bengal government as fears of flood gripped the downstream districts.
DVC officials said flooding is not dependent solely on its water release but also on the water-holding capacity of downstream rivers, which are not under the corporation’s control or management.
According to official data, the water level of the Maithon reservoir is at 483 ft against its maximum flood level of 495 ft, while the water level of the Panchet reservoir is at 415 ft against a maximum of 435 ft.Data from key monitoring stations along the Damodar, including Jamalpur and Rondia, indicated a rising water level, though it remained safely below the danger mark at 8 AM. (PTI)
