An Open Letter to Narendra Modi Sir From an Honest Assamese

11:29 AM

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Open Letter

Writes LEENA HAZARIKA

I have always been a proud civilian of India, but, I am overwhelmingly humiliated to see all the agony some other natives of Assam are going through every year. This is something which I have been thinking from quite some time now. I needed to ask you as to how much do you bother about Assam? We all appreciate the incessant debates about the central government overlooking us and our essentials, but, does the unfortunate people really sense any modifications through these discussions between government and other authorities or are they just regarded as mere tools to another misleading melodrama of yours? Don’t you think it is high time we act more than we discuss about the ongoing complications? We, the deprived people of Assam, don’t worry about your bill and budgets, because, we seldom get time to protect ourselves from the flood which ruins our crops, land and home. We fear about our future, our children starving and the constant horror of death. We panic for our life.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority report, the current flood has destroyed around 1.37 lakh hectare of crops this year making over 1.27 lakh people homeless across 19 districts. More than 10 people died till date. We are not even counting the past years yet. Areas like Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, Dhemaji, etc are facing the major breaches of the river Brahmaputra. You, sir talking about digital India, what modern technology do you think, is preferable to save us from the calamity every year? Does this 1.27 lakh people seem nothing to you? We don’t need your statistics as to how much fund are you sending to help us. We want you to come and see as to how much of those funds are being actually used for us.
Let’s, for a second ignore the human beings, but, what about the natural resources and wildlife in Kaziranga?  We people have shelters to run away from but what about those animals who die every year due to our negligence and lack of protection. Does providing wildlife rehabilitation and reservation centres are enough to protect them?

Assam Flood

Sir, for you, it might not be a natural calamity but for the poor farmers, who goes hungry day and night to get their annual crops, it surely is a natural disaster. For the children who cannot visit their school for education, it is a natural calamity. For the families who lost their loved ones, it is a natural calamity. For the animals who can’t voice their pain, it is a natural calamity. For the family who loses their whole future in just one day, it is a natural calamity. For the people who see their own houses being taken away by flood, it is a natural calamity.

It is easier for us, who are fortunate enough to live a prosperous life, to comment that flood happens all the time. But, those people are going through much more than that. We understand, it is wrong to comment as to why Chennai, Mumbai, etc. gets help and media coverage as all human beings are equal in the eye of law. But, Article 21 of the Indian constitution gives right to life for everyone including the poor inhabitants of Assam too. So, why don’t you prove to us this time that your Government doesn’t neglect us as we feel so. If, that’s too much we are asking for then you are failing us as the representative of the people.

             

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Pathetic construction of buildings in the Darjeeling hills

4:36 PM

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disaster news

Writes Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling, July 24: The collapse of a four-storey structure in Darjeeling on Friday night, which led to seven deaths, has brought to focus the pathetic construction of buildings in the hills.

Buildings have virtually come up in thin air in Darjeeling with residents using vertical wooden stilts to create space, though in reality, there is no land for construction.

Prashant Rai, the municipal engineer of Darjeeling civic body, said: "We appeal to residents not to be careless as it concerns your own safety. People rely on the skills of masons. Although masons are skilled labourers, they are not experts on the science of construction."

The Telegraph went around in town today and found that some houses had "hanging staircase", while others had created space over streams without proper support.

Multi-storied buildings have been constructed on steep slopes and without foundation, and some houses merely sit on the ground.

"I fail to understand how people can even think of coming up with such constructions," said an architect who didn't want to be named.

Amar Singh Rai, the Darjeeling municipality chairman, said the civic body would start a survey tomorrow on illegal buildings.

Asked about the issue, he said: "It's a huge problem. There are a number of issues involved. People have to be given alternative space (for business or accommodation). Whenever we go to check structures that have come up illegally, people point at other areas where also such buildings have mushroomed. Nevertheless, we will launch a survey tomorrow and issue notices to those who own illegal structures and try our best to remove them.

The exact cause of the collapse of the four-storey building at Dr Zahir Hussain Busty, commonly known as Butcher Busty, has not been pinpointed.

Engineers said the Darjeeling residents must cultivate the habit of involving experts in constructions. "For most people, repair is only about applying a fresh plaster over cracks. Repair should involve identifying internal defects and strengthening the column and beams through retrofitting and jacketing of beams and columns," said Rai.

An architect said: "The most important thing during construction is to have a soil test done so that one has knowledge of the earth's capacity to bear weight. Designs can be accordingly framed. One should dig at least five feet for foundation and in some cases, it should be seven feet deep. Even then, if one does not find a firm base, techniques like combined columns should be used for weight distribution," he added.

There are various procedures and rules in place for constructions but municipality officers said hardly anyone followed them.

"The building plan has to be drawn up by an authorised surveyor who is empanelled with the municipality. Either the building owner or surveyor should submit reports to the civic body regularly on the construction process but that is hardly followed. Construction should not be undertaken on slopes steeper than 30 degrees and there should be proper ratio of materials. But no one seems to be taking these issues seriously," said Rai.

Ideally, a bag of cement should be mixed with one-and-a-half bags of sand and three bags of coarse aggregate.

"Masons have their own set formula. The ratio of water and cement mix also varies depending on constructions. The column designs have to be different for different constructions but the standard practice in the hill is to either use four 16mm or 12mm rods for a column," the architect said.

Metro went around Darjeeling to find out about precarious buildings in the hill town.

On Friday night, a four-storeyed building collapsed, killing seven people in an area known as Butcher Busty in Darjeeling
In the picture above, a green house standing on Robertson Road has a narrow base because of lack of land, but a much wider terrace.

An engineer said this was a sure recipe for disaster as the upper floors had no support of a base.

Telegraph

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Building Collapse in Darjeeling, 3 Deaths, 7 Rescued, 7 Missing

9:52 AM

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disaster news

TRAGEDY STRIKES DARJEELING: Building Collapse Causes 3 Deaths, 7 Rescued, 7 Missing

Darjeeling 22nd July 2016 Around 10:30 PM last night, people in Dr. Zakir Hussain Busty (locally known as Butcher Busty) below Lower Masjid, were jolted by a tremor. They assumed it was an earthquake. On coming out of their houses, they were left in a state of confusion and shock to see one of the buildings in their neighbourhood turned into rubble.

As the truth dawned on them, that a building had collapsed, local people rushed to rescue those who were trapped.
The building owned by Mr. Ashok Chettri was said to be old, and the owner had been residing in Siliguri for quite some time now and had rented it to others.

The building - a 4 storey one – housed 3 families.

Frantic efforts by locals ensured that three people, two women and an elderly men were rescued within 30 minutes of the collapse.
However, they would have to dig in deep to rescue others.

Photo - Building Collapse in Darjeeling, 3 Deaths, 7 Rescued, 7 Missing

As the night proceeded, Darjeeling MLA Mr. Amar Rai arrived on the scene and after seeing the extent of devastation he called Darjeeling DM and Army officials requesting rescue teams. Along with Firebrigade, Police and local civil defense volunteers the rescue efforts was mounted, resulting in safe recovery of four more individuals.

In about two hours Army rescue team also arrived, sadly due to the congestion of the road their heavy equipments could not be brought to the disaster site. As the army took charge hope ensued, but sadly they so far they have only been able to recover four dead bodies, all of the Pariyar family.
The rescue efforts are being undertaken with Army, Firebrigade, Police, Civil Defense, Municipal Engineers and local volunteers, and we hope that the rest of the people are rescued soon.

Please keep the missing in your prayers.

Dead: Rajesh Pariyar, Anita Pariyar, Amrita Pariyar
Missing: Naseem Kashmiri, Allaudin, Zamila, Sabina Kashmira + two guests (name unknown at this point)

Rescued so far: Salam Saha, Ghulam Saha , Sabina Khatoon, Sabana Khatoon she is expecting too , Anjali 9yrs, Ifa 2 yrs, Faiz 7 years


Sriju Bal Tamang for TheDC

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Structures along Teesta River demolished by Darjeeling district administration

11:21 AM

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teesta

Thirteen structures along Teesta demolished to avert mishaps

DARJEELING 21 Jul 2016 The Darjeeling district administration today  demolished 13 structures comprising houses and shops along the Teesta  River at 29th Mile on National Highway 10 under Kalimpong sub- division.

With rainfall battering the hills incessantly, the Teesta is flowing above the danger zone and has damaged several parts of the protection wall constructed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to put the lives of 29th Mile residents in danger.

This morning, the district administration used bulldozers to raze the 13 structures located on the riverside. “Thirteen houses were demolished at 29th Mile this morning. Only recently two such structures were partially washed away by the raging river. And considering the danger to life, the structures have been demolished,” said Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava. He added, “The demolition was done peacefully with most affected families even helping when the dismantling team reached the spot.”

Teesta Bazar - Pic via Escape Enchanted

The NHPC has two hydel projects – Teesta Low Dam Project (132 mw) aRambi and Teesta Low Dam Project (160 mw) at Kalijhora. The 29th Mile area, which is a forest village along NH-10, has been facing the direct impact of the Rambi project that was commissioned in 2013.

According to the district administration, the evicted families have already been compensated by the NHPC but they chose to hang on to their houses. “Of the 13, the NHPC compensated 11 families two years ago while the remaining two refused the compensation. At that time it was agreed they would move from the area,” said Srivastava.

According to the district administration, the 13 houses at 29th Mile was constructed on forest land and compensation ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs14 lakh had been provided to the families. Asked about the rehabilitation of the displaced families, the DM said,

“As per our information, all these families have alternative houses constructed from the compensation amount received. Of the 13 houses, almost none had any furniture and it appears these families were just holding on to the structures despite receiving compensation.”

Apparently, Meena Sherpa, who owned two of the structures, had refused to accept the compensation offered saying it was not adequate. Today, watching her house and shops being dismantled, she said, “I had refused the compensation offered because it was not adequate. I have been living here since our grandfather’s time. I had asked for a week’s time but my property was razed to the ground without I being offered any settlement. I will meet the district administration regarding this.”

Manoj Chhetri, whose house-cum-restaurant was also demolished, was nostalgic but took solace from the fact that he had been compensated. “It is sad when the house you are living in for years gets demolished. But at least we have received the compensation with which we can build another home nearby,” he said.

NHPC officials expressed satisfaction and said that they were open to providing compensation to those who had refused earlier. “A committee was formed and a survey and assessment conducted to provide compensation as per approved norms. Two of them had refused but they can contact us and we will certainly offer them adequate compensation,” said NHPC senior manager Tingal Kispot.

Torrential rain continues to create havoc and numerous stretches of NH-10 and NH-55 linking Sikkim and Darjeeling have been hit by landslides. Landslides occurred on the Pankhabari road at Chilauney Dhura, Rati Khola road at Garidhura and Rohini road at Kargil Dara under Kurseong sub-division. The other places included Kali Mandir near Sevoke and between Karmatar and Jorethang in Sikkim but they were cleared for vehicular movement later in the day. In the last 24 hours, rainfall recorded in Kurseong was 102.4mm, Darjeeling84.2mm, Kalimpong 40mm and Siliguri 138mm.

(EOIC)

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3 killed in Lodhoma Darjeeling landslide

8:06 AM

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landslide

DARJEELING 20 Jul 2016 Three members of a family in Lodhoma under Darjeeling sub-division were killed this morning after their house got swept away by flowing debris triggered by a landslide. Another family escaped by a whisker but their property got destroyed completely in the incident that occurred in the wee hours.

The mishap brought back memories of the grim tragedy at Tingling in Mirik a year ago when 19 people of Limbu Gaon were killed by a landslide triggered by more than 48 hours of incessant rainfall.

The death toll in today’s landslide may have been lower, but like the Tingling incident, the houses of the two families at Fenchaytar Village in Gairigaon under Lodhoma GP were located on a steep slope, aggravating the damage.

The Darjeeling district administration confirmed the deaths and said help and relief materials had been arranged. “Three persons died in a landslide that occurred at Fenchaytar village at four this morning. Their bodies were recovered around 5.30am and sent immediately for post-mortem to the Darjeeling district hospital. Relief materials to another family residing in the area, whose house was damaged, have been provided and they have been shifted to a relief centre nearby,” said Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava.

3 killed in Lodhoma Darjeeling landslide

The bodies of Mann Kumar Limbu (33), a daily wage earner, his wife Premkit (25), and son Anish (8) were recovered from under a huge pile of debris. Prima facie, it appears the three were sleeping when the killer debris covered the house and swept it away with tremendous force.

Dipen Limbu, a local resident, said, “There were only two houses where the accident occurred; the other houses are located at some distance away. We came to know about the tragedy only later. Locals searched for the bodies and found them huddled in a single room. It seems they were sleeping at the time of the landslide.”

Lok Bahadur Limbu and his family who live nearby miraculously escaped death even though half of his house was damaged by the landslide. Lok Bahadur had gone out to drink tea while his father and son were sleeping in the room that was not touched by the landslide. “Call it luck or God’s will, but Lok Bahadur and his family escaped sure death. He was outside the house while his son and father were in another room,” Dipen said.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung reached Fenchaytar village to interact with the affected and took stock of the situation. “Our party president visited the area and talked to the affected. The GTA is planning to build a house for Lok Bahadur and relief materials have been provided to them. They will be shifted to a relief camp at the local community hall,” said Prakash Gurung, the GTA Sabahsad of the area.

Meantime, the district administration said debris and rock accumulated on various stretches of NH-10 - the arterial link that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country and part of which falls in Darjeeling district – had been cleared and vehicular movement resumed. The Darjeeling hills are witnessing heavy to very heavy rainfall over the past three-four days and the district administration is on high alert. Rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours in Darjeeling was 87.9mm while in Kalimpong it was 39.9mm, Kurseong 57.9mm and Siliguri 82.40mm.

(EOIC)

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Waterlogging in Siliguri, yellow alert on the banks of Teesta river

9:10 AM

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Siliguri

Siliguri, June 24: Incessant rainfall led to waterlogging today in areas in and around Siliguri, including New Jalpaiguri railway station, and a rise in the water levels of a number of rivers in north Bengal.

The downpour forced the state irrigation department to issue a yellow alert (primary alert) in the unprotected areas on either bank of the Teesta river this afternoon.

The data available with the department show the Teesta is flowing close to the danger mark at Sevoke and near the Teesta Bridge on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town.

Siliguri received 187.50mm rain in 24 hours till 8am today, leaving NJP, Santoshinagar, Shaktigarh, Champasari, Fogdoibari, Hatiaganga, Milanpally, Ashoknagar and Rajendranagar, areas located outside town, under water.

The exit point and a major portion of NJP station are under knee-deep water. Although water accumulated on the tracks, there was no disruption in rail traffic.

"We fail to understand what the railways and the state government have been doing. There is no proper drainage to let water flow out of the parking area and the exit point at NJP. In case of heavy rains, areas outside the station get marooned. Considering the importance of the station and movement of thousands of passengers everyday, we believe the railways and the state government should look at the issue and take necessary steps to avert water-logging," said Rajat Dutta, a schoolteacher who reached NJP from Calcutta by train this morning.

Waterlogging in Siliguri, yellow alert  on the banks of Teesta river

Rivers like the Mahananda, Jaldhaka, Raidak I and II and the Torsha are also on the rise because of rains in the sub-Himalayan north Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast rain measuring between 70mm and 200mm at isolated places in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in the next couple of days.

Via Telegraph

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Sikkim - bridge collapsed by rain, Road to Mangan, Chungthang, Lachung, Lachen closed

7:23 PM

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Sikkim

Sikkim 17th May 2016: Highway road blocked at Rel khola (Ri chu) after Iron Bridge swept away by heavy rainfall approx 99 tourist vehicles which reached Mangan town and maximum back towards east district from Mangan, North district. More than 200 tourists which have stranded at Chungthang, approx 60 tourists at Lachung and 50 tourists at Lachen those who reached yesterday evening on May 16th have stranded as there is no possibilities of trans-shipment today on May 17th as the river water is flowing over slide area and its very risky for commuters, till now no casualties reported.

The Police department staff and district administration headed by SDM Chungthang and Mangan(HQ), up-Adhyaksha(N) with GREF staff have reached the spot and have directed travelers not take any risky steps and vehicles should not ply at night time at risky zones and district administration will try to setup temporary log bridge by tomorrow for transshipment, they informed. All tourism stake holders are requested to contact their standard tourist for safely evacuations informed vice President, TAAS.

Sikkim - bridge collapsed by rain, Road to Mangan, Chungthang, Lachung, Lachen closed

Similarly, Gangtok via Phodong closed till tomorrow as the BRO has decided to dismantle old Bakcha Bridge.

As SDM Dzongu, informed that the road conditions as of now at lower Dzongu and upper Dzongu, North Sikkim is clear for traffic by afternoon which was blocked by fell down tree due to wind storm. However commuters are requested not ply their vehicles late night for safety reasons.


Via ISL

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Darjeeling Fire, Fire Brigade, Municipality and the Shocking Incompetence

9:08 AM

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disaster news

Writes: Bicky Sharma

A few days back – on the night of 12th April – Darjeeling witnessed an unfortunate case of man-made disaster in the centre of its heart, Daroga Bazar, when a fire burnt down a lot of smiles and hopes with it.

This was definitely not the "first of its kind" of an incident in our town that we'd be surprised – perhaps, this was definitely not the first time that the flames showed all its might to put some lives on hold, and this was definitely not the only time that the sincere labour to earn their bread and butter was denied, but then it had enough intensity to make us think amidst the sniveling and the sorrow. Three business stores and an equal number of godowns were gutted down to ashes, as people watched the event unfold before them quite helplessly.

I, personally, have walked through the lanes of Daroga Bazaar throughout my student life, and was an exclusive customer to one of the stationery stores – Metro – that faced the fury, and getting to know about the catastrophe, the faces of the people working in the store started flashing in my mind.
A twinge of guilt, and not sympathy, struck my heart as we have failed them and similarly one day, we will be failed too. The ever helpful and hardworking people are enduring such a misfortune today, but then there are hundreds of other such people around the town, the same number of similar construction exist. It wasn’t the first of its kind of incident, and it may not be the last, but are we ready to face and fight such accidents in future? And if in case such accidents occur again, who all are to be blamed? Who will own up, and take the responsibility?

 Darjeeling ablaze on Metro bookstore line

Obviously, there must be someone we can hold responsible for all this, or do we wait to see the entire town razed to ground?

We live in a land of mercy. We live in a knife-edge situation, and have nowhere to walk but straight, and even a slight turmoil and we are in deep trench. We live in a constant fear of facing several calamities like landslides and earthquakes, and just pray that we pass through them safely. Prayer and complaints have become a common man’s remedy to all the predicaments.

Devoid of proper planning or safety measures against the unforeseen circumstances, we can just depend upon God’s mercy for our safety. We are fortunate that God has his eyes upon us and that we are still safe, but with the prevailing administration and the governance system, if only for once God were to turn a blind eye on us, we would become the most helpless people ever.

Perhaps, we will never find solace under any government and the kind of (mis)governance we are habituated to. Adding to the natural disasters, now we have a new challenge to face, prepare ourselves to fight against the fires that seem to erupt anywhere and everywhere across the town.
It is not a point of concern for just Darjeeling, but an alarm for the entire stretch of hills.

As I mentioned before, it wasn’t the first fire in the town, several other old structures around the town have already perished to the flames including the recent blaze in Dowhill School of Kurseong.

Though there is no definite trend in the conflagration, one has enough reasons to question the cause despite all the rhetoric. Was it really an accident, or a deliberate act of sabotage?

People living around the place of incident have reportedly complained that their homes where latched from outside while the fire took place, and they also complained about the smell of kerosene at the spot. The fire, prima facie, looked well orchestrated. Considering all the facts at disposal, one can deduce that the fire was a part of a full-proof conspiracy. But then, if it is a conspiracy, who do we put the blame on? I would rather not give it a political angle as no party or organisation would undertake such an act of suicide just a few days before the elections.

So, for now, let us stick to the theory of drug addicts causing all the fuss, the closest of the theories till now, and let the police and law take their course.

The administration of Darjeeling happens to be one of the most slacked bodies of administrators. The people of the hills are not very demanding, and are so very busy trying to earn their bread and butter that they don’t even look at what is going around.

As far as I am concerned, The Darjeeling Municipality should share the initial blame in the affair. I highly respect our municipality chairman, and acknowledge his hard work and sense of responsibility towards the town. It was due to his effort that the fire could be controlled in time, as he tried to reach out to the water-trucks to ferry water to doze off the fire. But still, I stick to the point that the municipality somewhere has failed the people.

While the fire-fighters say that it took almost an hour for them to arrive because of the inaccessibility to the site, we must keep in mind that most of the town is connected with similar streets, roads, and pavements that would also not be accessible to the fire-fighters during such emergencies. So, are we going to wait and watch the places have no access to fire brigade and use the same excuse again and again for every other case?

A quick glance at the statistics on the safety-equipments available with the municipality shows how appalling and pathetic fire-safety measures are in our town.

While the town could boast of around 113 fire-hydrants in 1950s, there are, as of now, only 8-10 hydrants. And while most of the parts within the town were accessible previously, given the well drawn town-planning, most, if not all, part of the town, especially its interiors, are inaccessible today.
It is indeed shocking to see the utter apathy on the part of Municipal authorities, that while we have suffered so much of loss on account of fire, the municipality has not yet taken any step to install the most needed fire-hydrants around the town.
So, does it not require some thought from the officials to look into the matter with some seriousness and sincerity?

While the number of multi-storied structures in the town is rising, the place is being squeezed breathless to meet the demands of development. So much so that the fire brigade takes an hour, and, in fact, more to reach a place set ablaze in the middle of the town.

If such is the case of people living in downtown Darjeeling, do the people living in the outskirts and on the margins, even hope about their arrival in the first place?

Given the dismal state of affairs in our town, I have often wondered, is development a curse? or is the municipality not being able to give the town a system of planned-development? Or, is it that the municipality is still not prepared to manage, and sustain any development at all? Or are those running the Municipality incompetent nincompoops who should not have been elected to run the affairs of our town to vegin with?

Let us now consider the role of the fire-fighters – the people with the fire-department – a permanent job holder with the government - who get paid on a regular basis just to keep the town safe from fire and other hazards.

The realities of the fire brigade in Darjeeling are different. I recall how a house in our village had caught fire during the night, and the locals frantically tried calling the fire brigade for at least an hour, but sadly, there was no response from the other side. Finally, some guys had to run up to the fire station, and inform them about the situation in person – perhaps, waking up some of them from their deep slumber.

Such is our helplessness in emergencies like fire-breaks, it takes at least an hour to make the Fire Brigade aware of such incident, and when they finally reach the disaster-site, they happen to run out of water in the first few minutes itself!

The irony is that while they are being paid to fight fire and to keep people safe, they generally are caught off-guard and do not believe that a fire can erupt anytime and anywhere.

Actually, to be honest, the efforts of the people trying to challenge the flames with all the buckets and jerry cans is much more effective than the expertise of fire fighters.

If it was not for the prompt action of the locals, and later the municipality chairman, the fire-fighters would have watched the whole of Daroga bazaar burn down with empty water-pipes in their hands.
Most intriguing and disappointing fact in the entire case is the apparent failure of law and order in the town.

It is, in fact, absurd that some people get the courage to latch up the houses around the middle of the town during the night, and set ablaze a godown which well explains how inefficienct the law and order system is at our place.

We truly live at the mercy of God. We live amidst the fallacies, and fake promises. We live within the insecurities and fear. Our existence has now just the significance to be sorry for whatever happened and to pray that it doesn’t happen again.

So the question remains, who stands accountable to the loss of the victims?

The same fire which would keep their “chullah” running, has now decided to burn their means of living. So who is going to keep the stoves in their kitchen burning, while the cause of the fire is never ascertained?

Will the real person or organization who we can hold accountable, please stand up? please stand up?


Via TheDC

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Darjeeling‬ - Fire guts shops in heart of ‪the town (Daroga Bazaar)

9:48 AM

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disaster news

A sudden blaze late at night in the heart of Darjeeling town completely destroyed three shops and an equal number of godowns, raising fears of arson among residents of the area.

The shops included two apparel stores and a bookstore, and the three godowns were located below them. Located on BM Chatterjee Road, popularly known as Daroga Bazaar, the establishments were totally gutted by the fire. Although there was no loss of life, goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed.

The three shops and godowns along with four other neighbouring stores dealt in clothing and stationery and are housed in ‘P’ Building, a two-storey structure owned by the Darjeeling municipality. The building is partly wooden and partly concrete.

According to locals, the fire started around 1.30am on Wednesday morning from a store where furniture items had been kept. Six fire tenders were pressed into service, and with help from the locals, the blaze was brought under control around 6:00am. “We managed to douse the fire only by six in the morning. Water was available but the congestion and narrowness of the approach road obstructed smooth execution of work. Fortunately, we managed to contain the fire and it did not spread to adjacent structures. We are yet to ascertain the cause though,” said Bharat Lama, and officer with the Darjeeling Sadar fire station.

Fire guts shops in heart of ‪Darjeeling‬ town

Meanwhile, residents of ‘C’ Building, located just 15 feet below ‘D’ Building, have alleged the fire was an act of arson that was actually targeted at their building. The dilapidated ‘C’ Building is made of wood and tin sheets and is more than 100 years old. The municipality has leased it to 50 families.
“We heard a huge explosion that shook our rooms. Fearing an earthquake, we tried to get out of our house, but surprisingly the door was latched from outside. We had to break the glass pane and unlock the door,” said Bikash Bhitrikotey, one of the residents of ‘C’ Building. Echoing him, another resident named Lhamin Sherpa said, “How come were the doors of our rooms latched from outside? The door of the furniture godown was open so late in the night and we could smell kerosene oil everywhere. Hence, we strongly suspect it was a deliberate plan to demolish our building.”

Following the April 2015 earthquake and continuous aftershocks, the civic body carried out a survey of old buildings that included the ‘C’ Building. It had decided to dismantle the existing structure and build a four-storey building. However, the project is yet to start. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior municipality official said discussions had failed with the residents of ‘C’ Building due to which the new structure project had to be shelved. “We had several rounds of talks with the residents. They wanted not only rehabilitation but also livelihood means as the building houses both residential and commercial spaces. Since we did not have such provisions, we decided against going ahead with the project,” he said.

Darjeeling Municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai visited the accident spot as soon as he was informed and said a report would be submitted to the state government while and an inquiry launched to look into the allegations. “A survey and assessment of the damage will be conducted and submitted to the government at the earliest,” he said.

Darjeeling SP Amit Javalgi said, “The fire started from one of the godowns located below the shops, but we do not know the cause at this point in time. Incidents of arson and sabotage usually do not occur here but we will conduct an investigation all the same.”


Via: EOIC

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Fire in Darjeeling town - all you need to know

9:15 AM

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featured

13th April 2016 Its very sad to report that the part of Darjeeling town was once again engulfed in fire early in the morning today. Following are thing that is all you need to know which has come out of the event till now.

1.Fire Breaks Out At Shyam Brothers Line Darjeeling
Fire broke out at Shyam Brothers line in Darjeeling Town which initially engulfed two shops completely - Metro Book store and Dullaram  have been burned down almost 80%. According to locals, the fire broke out at 2 AM and despite informing, the fire-brigade arrived late at the scene, after an hour to douse the flames.

Fire Breaks Out At Shyam Brothers Line

2.Deliberate Sabotage Allege Locals
Residents of C-building which is near the P-building that caught fire in Darjeeling town today have alleged that they could not get out of their houses as someone had locked their door from outside. Residents claimed that they couldn't get out, until an individual broke his window and managed to get out and open everyone's door.

Deliberate Sabotage Allege Locals

3.Fire Spread From Furniture Godown Say Locals
Locals have alleged that the fire which engulfed P-building and parts of Metro bookstore line started from a furniture godown and spread rapidly. Even though locals fought the fire bravely with buckets of  water, they could not help save these properties.

Fire Spread From Furniture Godown Say Locals

4.Fire Tankers Run Out of Water - Municipal Chairman Comes to Rescue
Once again the fire tankers were without water in Darjeeling, and had it not been for the Municipal Chairman Mr. Amar Rai the fire would have become worse.

Fire Tankers Run Out of Water - Municipal Chairman Comes to Rescue

After the initial tanker doused some flames it ran out of water and there was no alternative. Municipal Chairman Mr. Rai then called up all the water tankers that ferry water to town and requested them to assist in dousing the fire. He also requested help from Kurseong fire-brigade.

Thanks to the timely intervention of local residents and Mr. Rai the flames are now under control.



With inputs from TheDC

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Hailstorm, Malgovernance, and Indifferent State – How Safe Are We?

9:38 AM

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West Bengal

Writes Shailendra M Pradhan for TheDC

March 31st, 2016, will go down in the collective memory for two, or possibly three, reasons: hailstorm in Darjeeling, the tragedy in Kolkata caused by the collapse of under-construction bridge, and, of not lesser interest to a cricketing nation like ours, the defeat of India in T20 World Cup to Windies, despite Virat’s heroics. Of the previous two, the tragedy in Kolkata claimed more than 30 lives, while many were fear trapped under the rubble of under-construction overpass for hours and, even, days.

The hailstorm in Darjeeling, however, evoked two contradictory responses. First, it came and was received as a pleasant surprise by both the locals and tourists who, denied of the snow in the winters since 2008, were quick to relish in the blanket of almost 6-7 inches of hailstorm. Second, given the timing of the hailstorm, many, especially the farmers and agriculturists in rural Darjeeling, and the planters in tea gardens, feared a loss to their output and productivity, which, as a matter of investigation, deserve more time and research. In both the cases of hailstorm and bridge collapse, the failure of the administration to respond and rescue the people has, however, become more apparent.

Hailstorm, Malgovernance, and Indifferent State – How Safe Are We?

Perhaps, in case of the tragedy in Kolkata, April Fool’s Day came a day before to the state administration, and much before the assembly elections to the Trinamul Congress-govt which has come under scathing criticisms from the opposition, but more importantly, from the people because of its decisions to push through the completion of the bridge in a haphazard manner, much ahead of its scheduled deadline in November this year. Whether or not the tragedy will involve any political cost for the ruling dispensation under TMC is best left to scrutiny once the election results are out.

For now, it would be pertinent to introspect on the administrative response to the plight and hardship of the people caused in the wake of hailstorm.

Disasters and Administration in Darjeeling: An Uneasy Relationship?

Darjeeling, famous for its 3 Ts – tea, tourism, and toy-train, is also equally notorious for its disasters. The landslides in Mirik and Kalimpong in July last year resulted in the death of more than 40 lives. Similarly, the cyclone Aila in 2009 created havoc in different pockets of Darjeeling hills, and disrupted normal life for days together. Given its location in Lesser Himalaya, Darjeeling is prone to landslides, earthquakes, and various other natural hazards. The response of the govt. to these disasters has, however, remained disappointing, and of little help and assistance to the people.

The hailstorm in Darjeeling only deepened our fear of insensible and ill-prepared administration when it was caught completely off-guard to deal with such emergencies. While the thunder-shower and hailstorm lasted for a little more than half an hour, the immediate hardship experienced by the people will remain with them for times to come – the traffic was thrown out of gear for large part of the day; the people, travelling to and from Darjeeling, could not reach their destination on time; and, the students made home – with a starving stomach with nothing to eat for hours – from their schools very late in the night due to unmoving traffic. In the absence of Civil Defence personnel, who are mostly responsible for rescue and relief operations in any hazard situations, the people themselves had to negotiate and make their way through layers and layers of hailstorm.

In fact, the inability of both the district administration and Darjeeling Municipality to deploy even the basic snow-removal equipments and tools such as snowplow, wovel, and blower to clear off the roads highlight the insensitivity of the govt. to the plights of the people in disaster-situations. Unsurprisingly, the people took on themselves to help each other from lending a hand to push the vehicles trapped in hail-covered road to offering teas and biscuits to the starving travelers by the locals. And, while the tourists and locals displayed strong camaraderie in this hour of hardship, the administration remained ignorant of its own shortcomings.

Smart-Phones – But Not-So-Smart Administration!

Better communications can warn the people of the impending disasters, and help them to better prepare and mitigate during their occurrences. The timely evacuation of millions of people in the face of approaching Phailin, known to be the fiercest cyclone to hit coastal Andhra and Odisha in recent times, is perhaps the most glaring example of how information and communication can help avert any major disaster. The boom in the Information and Technology industry (IT, hereafter), and the promptness at which the information can be collected and made available at the touch of one’s phone-screen can improve our preparedness level in disaster mitigation. One of the biggest failures of the successive govts in West Bengal has been its inability to fine-tune its administration and personnel to the prospects available in IT sector – in other words, the coming of smart-phones in the markets in Bengal has not been accompanied by equally smart and technology-oriented local administration. As a result, the people remain deprived of the information on weather-forecasts and impending risks, which if timely relayed as text-messages or calls, can save them from many hardships.

The inability of the state disaster management authority, which is replete with time-consuming bureaucratic process and corruption, and district administration to communicate and warn the people of the impending disasters pierce the very idea of smart-cities which are disaster and risk resilient. In case of hailstorm in Darjeeling, the district administration not only failed to make use of the information available with the metrological department for its own preparedness, but also showed laxity in relaying them to the people. It is a sad fact that the district administration has not been able to capitalize on the smart-phones available with the people in Darjeeling, let alone set-up and strengthen its communication technologies for early-warning of any disaster or weather-related information.

Safety and Social Responsibility: The Missing Link?

When the news of hailstorm in Darjeeling made to social network sites such as Facebook on TheDC, Darjeeling Times, and other local news pages, the people were busy “liking”, responding, or sharing their feelings on possibly every news and photographs related to the event. To the tourists in the town, but also to the locals, Darjeeling, had, perhaps lived up to its expectation as the indisputable “Queen of Hill Stations” in India. Of the many stories on hailstorm that made it to national newspapers and online news portals the following morning, one small bit related to the damages in one of the most prestigious schools in Darjeeling, the Loreto Convent – the roof of its basketball court had apparently collapsed. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The incident, however, puts a big question mark on the safety and reliability of our infrastructures in various schools and institutions: how safe are our infrastructures to withstand hazards like earthquakes and hailstorms? Do we have enough regulatory institutions to ensure that safety-norms and laws are abided and observed? Are we sensitive to our environment and our safety?

Darjeeling can, perhaps, take pride in being the oldest municipality in India, built way back in 1853, with British concerned about the nitty-gritty of building a safe and habitable place on the lines of its own towns in London: building bye-laws, adequate drainage system, and strong road and railway lines. Most of these have either been modified or replaced by new laws and norms, and infrastructures that are apparently better suited to deal with various challenges of our times such as population growth and urbanisation. The safety and the well-being of the people, however, have been compromised in the process, and Darjeeling, as it is today, remains one of the most neglected and vulnerable hill towns in India.

In our collective capacity, we should remind ourselves of the disasters that are in making, largely because of our own insensitivity to the environment and nature – the dumping of our waste almost anywhere and everywhere, building of our houses and other infrastructures almost anywhere and everywhere, even in the most vulnerable and hazard-prone areas, and little or no concern for public property and goods.

The recent hailstorm, despite being largely harmless, should serve as a warning to our representatives, policy-makers, builders, and, above all, to ourselves on the need to introspect on the pace and pattern of our development.


Via TheDC

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MIRIK Landslide: Another Disaster in the Making

10:55 AM

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Mirik Municipality

MIRIK:The painful landslide event of last year is still afresh in all of our minds, and the people who were forced to take shelter in relief cams are yet to return to their homes, but the district administration is already starting to lay the ground work for another round of disasters.

Only two months ago Mirik Municipality had completed the drain along the main road leading upto Mirik, and now that drain has been dug up to lay cable for 3G and 4G communications. While we welcome the new technology, what we do not welcome ia the fact that after the cable is laid down, there has been no attempt made to cover the drain and bring it back to its original state.

Why did the government waste money in building the drains, if at the end of they day, they wanted to dig it up anyway? Now thst the cable is laid in many places already, shouldn't the government make sure that the drain is rebuilt?

MIRIK Landslide: Another Disaster in the Making

It might be reminded that much of the landslide in Mirik region last year was due to clogged drains like these, which resukted in water seeling onto the hills, instead of draining out.

We request Mirik Municipality and Darjeeling District Administration to kindly ensure thst the drain is rebuilt as early as possible. Darjeeling cannot afford another round of landslides due to faulty administrative practices.

Arbin Angla Subba for TheDC

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Darjeeling municipality starts demolishing illegal structures

10:31 AM

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gjm

Beginning on Tuesday, the Darjeeling municipality has started demolishing high rises flouting the building norms laid down in the Bengal Municipal Act, an issue that has been raised by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and landslides. The municipality staff and some workers started dismantling the two floors of an under construction building located between H.D. Lama Road and N.B. Singh Road in the heart of town. The particular building is jointly owned by four persons- Nausad Siddique, Md. Umar, Imran Hingun and Dawa Diki Sherpa. The owners had started fresh constructions after the original structure was completely destroyed in a devastating fire in 2011.

Darjeeling municipality starts demolishing illegal structures

“We have started demolishing buildings that are flouting the B.M. Act. We are doing this after having served notices to the owners,” said Sukhbahadur Biswakarma, the municipality vice-chairman, who is overseeing the dismantling process.

On Monday, the GJM president had raised the issue of illegal high rises that were mushrooming in the hills and asked the municipality to demolish them. “Tourists come to the hills to enjoy the greenery and the beautiful environment. They have lots of buildings in their places and don’t want to see such structures here. The municipality should dismantle all illegal structures. I will see who objects,” he had said in a function in Darjeeling.

In fact, Gurung specifically pointed out to the two floors of the building that was started being dismantled on Tuesday. The GJM president, who will be leaving for Delhi on August 1, had even said that he himself would demolish the structure upon his return, if it was found that no steps had been taken by the municipality.

The municipality started a survey in all the wards in Darjeeling after the Nepal earthquake and the recent landslides that claimed 32 lives in the hills. “We started the survey of buildings that have been constructed above the permissible height of 11.5 meters in the hills. We had issued notices to the owners of the buildings but they did not respond or stop construction work. We had given permission for only 11.5 meters, which roughly translates to a ground floor and three floors above. That is why we have started demolishing the illegal structure,” Biswakarma said.

The civic body started the survey from June 9, focusing in the town areas and this will extend in all the 28 wards in Darjeeling. “So far we have issued 61 notices to owners of buildings that have been found violating building norms. At the moment I cannot segregate the notices but they pertain to violations such as illegal construction of additional floors and walls and encroachment among other factors. Our survey is still in progress and only after we complete it will we be able to provide the numbers,” said Prashant Rai, the municipal engineer.

When contacted for his comment, Umar said, “What can I say but let the law take its course. If it (building) is illegal then let them dismantle it.” The other owners, however, did not take calls with one of them (Siddique) saying he was in a meeting and could not talk at the moment.

Sources in the municipality said that so far, according to the survey, 18 buildings in and around town have been found to have flouted the permissible limit of 11.5 meters in the hilly region.

“The survey is in progress but we have already found several buildings that have violated the norms. However, the good thing is that some of owners that are building structures are themselves demolishing the illegal portions,” he said.

Source - EOI

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Indian Idol Prashant Tamang Funds drive for landslide victims

1:04 PM

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music

Siliguri, July 17: Singer Prashant Tamang, the 2007 winner of the reality show Indian Idol, will perform here tomorrow to raise funds for the Mirik landslides victims and their families.

Prashant Tamang, the 2007 winner of the reality show Indian Idol

Amit Paul, who was the first runners-up at the show in 2007, will also perform at the show with Tamang. Parleen Singh Giri, Abhishek Kumar and Emon Chatterjee, three more artistes, will also join them at the event, which will be held in a hotel in Matigaratomorrow evening.
Entry to the event is through invitation only.

The invitees can donate any amount for the cause at the programme.
"I plan to visit Darjeeling with my friends onJuly 19. But before that, we heard about the disaster that took place in the hills. Our friend Amit, who was in Siliguri, first contacted me and said we should do something for the victims, and we could raise money for the affected residents of the hills," Tamang said.

Tamang hails from the Darjeeling hills, but is based in Mumbai at present.

Paul, who was also present at a news conference today, said: "After I spoke to my friends in Mumbai, I contacted a local person who is running an NGO. We requested him to organise an event so that we can hold a musical programme and raise some funds for the slide victims of the hills."

Binny Sharma, a Trinamul leader who is organising the event, said: "We have collected around Rs 3.51 lakh and will hand it over to the district magistrate of Darjeeling for the chief minister's relief fund. Whatever additional funds are collected during the event tomorrow will also be given to the relief fund."

Via-Telegraph

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GTA decides to rehabilitate landslides victims in three phases

9:51 AM

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landslide

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, July 9: The GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) has decided to rehabilitate landslides victims in three phases in what is expected to be one of the biggest rehabilitation processes in the hills in recent times.

Arun Sigchi, the elected GTA Sabha member from Soureni, today said: "On July 6, we held a meeting with the management of Soureni, Gayabari and Singbuli tea gardens. The management of the gardens has agreed on the need to rehabilitate those who have been affected in the landslides. We plan to undertake the process in three phases."

Despair and Worry Plagues Lower Reshap Residents - Darjeeling landslide

Those people whose houses are inhabitable will be immediately relocated to safer places in the first phase. In the second phase, those whose houses are partially damaged will be rehabilitated.

"In the third phase, we will relocate those houses which are situated on steep slopes and in vulnerable areas," said Singhi.

The GTA is also looking at using the survey report of the Geological Survey of India to finalise its long-term rehabilitation process.

Sigchi said they were looking at rehabilitating around 600-700 families only in the Mirik block. The figure is expected to touch around 900 families across the Darjeeling hills.

According to preliminary reports, property worth around Rs 27 crore has been lost in the July 1 landslide. The figure, however, does not include damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

The district administration will be providing a sum of Rs 1.01 lakh each to reconstruct fully damaged houses.

"Since this amount will not be enough, the GTA will also be pooling in funds for the reconstruction of houses," said Sigchi.

The GTA today held a review meeting in Darjeeling that was chaired by Ravi Inder Singh, the principal secretary of the hill body.

At present, the GTA has cleared 40 roads leading to various villages across the hills.

Source: Telegraph

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GTA Press Release on landslides in the Darjeeling hills

10:26 PM

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mirik

Press Release from Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on 9th July 2015.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration's Chief Executive Mr Bimal Gurung is visiting all the areas affected by the landslides in Kalimpong including Todhay Tangta, Lava Lingsey, Gitadabing and Khola Khan at lava.

Bimal Gurung visiting the damaged areas during heavy rainfall on 30th june 2015 to 5th july 2015 in the hills

Principal Secretary, Dr Ravi Inder Singh chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of relief and rescue operations in areas affected by the recent landslide.

Mr Bimal Gurung , the Hon'ble CE was briefed over the phone on the extent of destruction, including the damage to infrastructure such as roads, Schools, Colleges, Government buildings and power lines by the Principal Secretary. In the meeting an overview of the status of relief operations and steps taken to ensure supply of essential commodities including food and drinking water was discussed. GTA is currently accessing the damage caused and shall be sending their report to the State and Central Government.

List of roads damage during heavy rainfall on 30th June 2015 to 5th July 2015 in the #Darjeeling hills PART ONE

List of roads damage during heavy rainfall on 30th June 2015 to 5th July 2015 in the Darjeeling hills. PART 2

Mr Bimal Gurung, instructed top officials of the GTA to continue to work closely with the affected area to ensure that there are no bottlenecks in relief and rescue work. He also emphasized the need to document learnings from this landslide. The meeting was attended by all GTA Executive Directors, Engineers and other top officials along with Shri Trilok Dewan, MLA Darjeeling.

In the meeting a list of roads restored by the GTA was also presented.GTA in the last one week have been working round the clock and has restored nearly about 40 roads in GTA area.

Media Cell, Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

Via: Bimal Gurung Official

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How Bengal Government and Darjeeling Dist Administration Let People in Tingling to Die

9:37 AM

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West Bengal

Special Report: Upendra for The Darjeeling Chronicle

When landslides happened in Tingling, the only group of people who were not shocked were the Tingling residents.

They knew this day was coming. In fact, they had known this day would come since 2011.
Following the 2011 earthquake, land had started to sink in, in Limbu Gaon Tingling. Worried over the sinking, Mr. Dipesh Thapa wrote to the district administration via the Manager of Singbully, to kindly take stock of the landslide threat posed to the village and had pleaded, "arrange us shifting to another safe place within Tingling TE (sic).” The letter dated November 30, 2011 was received by Mirik BDO and Mirik Police Station on behalf of the District Administration.

The letter dated November 30, 2011 was received by Mirik BDO

The district administration allegedly did not take any action, following which, the local people sent another letter to the North Bengal Debelopment Minister, requesting specifically, "we the residents of Tingling Limbu Gaon, under Mirik Block would like to draw your attention of your kind intervention in saving lives of villagers who are under severe threat due to unceasing landslide just below the village (sic)"

Letter to the North Bengal Debelopment Minister

Following this, the Mirik Block Development Office had conducted a survey and found that the threat was sever. However, the BDO Office could not act on the matter, as it required higher authorities to take the decision.

In a letter dated 18th of July 2013, which the Mirik BDO had CC:ed to 1) The District Magistrate, DMS, Darjeeling 2) The Sub-Divisional Officer, DMS, Kurseong and 3) The Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Water Ways Department, Kurseong Mirik BDO writes, "As per field enquiry it is found fact that there is a huge landslide directly affected to the above said village... it is beyond the capacity of the establishment to protect the landslide affected area as desired by the villagers. You are hereby requested to consider the matter urgently."

Letter to the  Manager of Singbully

However, the district administration did not take any action, nor did the North Bengal Minister.
Despite three and a half years of head-start, the Darjeeling District Adminstration and the Bengal government failed to act on repeated pleas by the residents of Tingling, Limbu Gaon. Today the Limbu Gaon is no more, the entire village has been washed away due to the landslide of June 30th night.

It is devastating to learn that the loss of precious human life could have been averted, had the district administration and the North Bengal Minister acted on those repeated requests and desperate please sent by the residents of Limbu Gaon, 20 of who are dead today.

This is a clear case of dereliction of duty, on the part of Darjeeling District Administration and the North Bengal Minister, leading to the death of 19 individuals, which makes it a case of culpable homicide.

The State government has blood on their hands, and hence we all need to write to the Supreme Court of India to order an inquiry to ascertain the responsibilities and initiate criminal proceedings against those who have cause the willful death of our hill people.

[We are MOST THANKFUL to Voice of Mirik For Breaking this news story, and for kindly sharing these letters with us]

Via - TheDC

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Darjeeling Landslide Property worth Rs 50 cr lost

11:13 AM

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mirik

On July 1, landslides had hit Darjeeling, Mirik, Kalimpong and Kurseong, killing at least 40 people.
Days after multiple landslides hit Darjeeling district, authorities on Sunday said property worth at least Rs 50 crore has been damaged. This, even as the state government is still gathering data to ascertain the loss.

Landslide-hit Mirik near Siliguri.

“Considering the houses damaged in our jurisdiction, the loss has been estimated to be around Rs 20 crore. But in areas under Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), houses have been demolished and bridges and roads maintained by PWD washed away. Overall, the loss figure will rise significantly and easily cross the Rs 50-crore mark. One bridge built by PWD alone will cost around Rs 10 crore in repair,” Darjeeling District Magistrate Anurag Srivastava said.

On July 1, landslides had hit Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, killing at least 40 people. Srivastava on Sunday said that while one more body was recovered, 10 people are still missing.
This comes a day after another landslide occurred near Kalijhora. But as there was no house in the area, no casualty or injury was reported.

As weather conditions have improved on Sunday after days of incessant rain, rescue work continued in full swing. Around 30 earthmovers have been engaged in removing debris. A part of the damaged NH-10 was also opened Sunday to establish a link between Kalimpong and Sikkim. PWD authorities have built a temporary bridge across Rakti river after the existing one was washed away and vehicles started plying on Sunday. Damaged roads in Kalimpong have also been restored for vehicular traffic.
Asked whether there was a chance of an outbreak of any epidemic, the DM said: “Doctors are visiting relief camps everyday. Additional toilets have been built and chlorinated drinking water is being served. Special care is being taken towards sanitation… All measures have been taken to stop an epidemic.”

“As many as 33 relief camps have been set up in the district, which are accommodating 3,100 people at present. Search operations will continue till we find the 10 people who are missing… We have been able to send relief materials to the remotest parts of the landslide-affected areas,” he added.
People who had taken shelter in the three relief camps in Tingling and Lamagaon villages following the landslides are gradually returning home, officials said. Around 200 to 250 families have been sheltered in those camps and now only those whose houses have been completely destroyed are staying in the camps.

The GTA has informed the Centre about the damages in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, said Kalimpong MLA and GTA member Harkha Bahadur Chhetri. “Around 400 houses have either been damaged or destroyed in the disaster,” Chhetri said.
GTA chief Bimal Gurung had on Saturday called up Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to provide an update on the disaster. The state government is also conducting an assessment of the landslide-battered districts and the report will be sent to the Centre.

Source - Indian Express

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Mamata Banerjee visits landslide-affected areas in Darjeeling

7:44 PM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling 2nd July 2015: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claims that she traveled by road to the worst affected areas of landslide-hit Darjeeling hill where at least 38 people have been reported dead and missing . She said that it took her 6 hour to reach Mirik from Siliguri owing to the road condition caused by the landslide which would normally take one hour.

Mamta Banerjee Visits Mirik Landslide Affected Areas

Mamata Banerjee  in the social media wrote
"I travelled more than six hours to reach Mirik from Siliguri to personally see the damages caused due to landslides. It was a difficult journey, especially after the fresh landslides last night.
On my way, I stopped at various relief camps to meet the landslide affected families. The largest camp is at Soureni, where more than 500 people are accommodated. I distributed compensation cheques and relief kits to the family members.
I also visited the spots where major landslides took place. Our administration is working relentlessly to extend support and assistance to the affected people and areas.
I am continuously monitoring the relief activities. 
We are with my brothers and sisters all the time."

The CM reached here last night and took updates from the local administration about the extent of rescue work in Mirik, Kalimpong and other areas in Darjeeling district.

Since Tuesday night, heavy rain triggered a string of landslides in the mountainous Darjeeling district of West Bengal, killing at least 38 people, swamping homes, washing away highways and throwing normal life out of gear.

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Kalimpong landslide Six persons dead, six missing

9:16 AM

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landslide

Six persons died and six went missing after heavy rains lashed Kalimpong subdivision last night and caused landslides.

COUPLE BURIED IN THEIR HOUSE IN KALIMPONG DUE TO LANDSLIDE

The extent of damage caused by the 137mm rain, which Kalimpong received in 24 hours since 8.30am yesterday, is not yet known.

"Six persons died and another six are untraced. Of the six deaths, two are in the Kalimpong municipality area, two in block I, one each in blocks II and III," said Radhika Aiyar, the subdivisional officer of Kalimpong.

The rain triggered landslides at different places, causing widespread damage to houses, farmland and roads.

Six persons have been officially categorised as missing.

They are Ramesh Rai and Kusum Rai his wife from Nurserygaon at 7th Mile on the outskirts of the town and a four-member family from the remote Lingseykha village near the border with Sikkim.

Their names are not yet known.

The deceased include the son of the missing farmer couple, Amrit Rai, 9 who died after their house was swept away by a huge landslide when the family was sleeping.

Sanjay Gazmer, 30, and Priya Sarki, 25, died when their kutcha house came under slush during a landslide at Topkhana in the 11th Mile area of the town.

Alisha Rai, 18, of Minbusty in Gorubathan, D. Doma Sherpa, 14, from Lava village in Algarah block and Jai Prakash Rai, 60, from Paiyung village in Algarah block are also among the deceased.

Amrit Rai's elder brother, Vivek, 14, was injured in the incident, and is recovering at the Kalimpong subdivisional hospital.

Road links to many villages have been severed and acres of farmland have been destroyed.

"We are completely cut-off from the rest of the world. Please come and see our plight," said a teacher of a school in Gitdabling village, around 30km from here.

D. Nag, the block development officer of Kalimpong II, said many roads had been damaged and had cave-ins.

"Many villages in my block cannot be reached by road because of the damage caused by the landslides. We are finding it difficult to send teams to carry out damage assessment," he said.

P. K. Pal, the assistant meteorologist of the flood meteorology office in Jalpaiguri, said the amount of rain Kalimpong received in a period of 24 hours could be categorised as "very heavy".

"Yesterday, we had issued a warning for heavy rain in sub-Himalayan Bengal for the next 72 hours, but what happened last night was very heavy rain," he said over the phone.

Source: Telegraph

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