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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Sikkim -NH10 Landslide, 500 vehicles stranded as road blocked between Singtam and Ranipool

8:32 AM

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Sikkim

Gangtok, July 1: Around 500 vehicles were left stranded after a landslide blocked traffic on NH10 between Singtam and Ranipool in East Sikkim this morning.

Administrative sources said heavy rain had triggered the landslide at 32nd Mile around 7am and the Border Roads Organisation had cleared the highway for one-way traffic in two hours.

"A portion of land above the road slipped and fell on the highway. Heavy rain had triggered the landslide," said a police source.

Although the highway was restored in two hours by the BRO, only one-way traffic was allowed as small boulders were still falling on the road.

Representational photo

Via telegraph

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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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Darjeeling Hailstorm - Tourists stroll in icy streets; Loreto basketball court roof collapses

7:44 AM

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Hill

Darjeeling, March 31: Darjeeling was covered in white with the hill town experiencing an unprecedented bout of hailstorm at noon today.

Hailstone accompanied by a strong drizzle that lasted for nearly an hour from 11.45am had the town covered in more than four inches of ice.

It had last snowed here in 2008 and even though hailstones were not as soothing as snowfall, an icy Darjeeling was greeted with much enthusiasm by local residents and tourists alike. <>The scene was like a snow-covered Darjeeling.Saha and his friends were stuck in a massive traffic jam near the district magistrate' office along 18 Lebong Cart Road. Hailstorms occur when there is moisture in the air and temperature soars high. Walking became a Herculean task mainly through uphill paths.

Victoria falls covered with hailstones in Darjeeling on 31st march 2016

Tea planters were concerned about the damage to first flush.

Sandeep Mukherjee, the principal advisor to the Darjeeling Tea Association, said: "Hailstones at this time will definitely affect the first flush. We are, however, still collecting reports of the damage from different places."

The first flush plucking starts from February-end and continues till April. First flush constitutes around 15-20 per cent of the total annual tea production and commands highest price and is suited for export. Darjeeling produces around 8 million kg of made-tea annually.

The roof of Loreto basketball court (below) was destroyed in the hailstorm
on Thursday. Pictures by Suman Tamang

Sources at the Indian Meteorological Department in Calcutta said there was a forecast of rainfall and thunder-squall across north Bengal in the next few days and hailstorm in Sikkim. "Like it happened in Darjeeling today, there is a forecast of similar hailstorm in Sikkim in the next few days. There was isolated rain in some areas of north Bengal today," said an IMD source.

While Siliguri received rain today, there was a bout of hailstorm in Fulbari.


Via Telegraph

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Darjeeling receives heavy hailstorm

5:13 PM

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Tourism

Very heavy hailstorm witnessed in Darjeeling town which was accompanied by wind and rain. Hailstones in the size of goldballs  battered roofs, trees, vehicles and people alike. Most of the places in the town received heavy hailstorm coupled with rain today. People got worried about electricity connections and transportation.

In the Morning, it was clear and sunny day in Darjeeling town but in the afternoon, it was a surprise when Darjeeling received season's first hail storm. The non stop Hailstorm is speculated to be 12 inches thick in some of the places.

The hailstorm have now finally stopped turning the hill town all white. Rahul Jha, a local resident, shared his experience on horrific hailstorm: "I haven't seen such a crazy hailstorm in my life." Soon People were out  playing with the hailstone, throwing it at others. Tourists and locals were seen taking photos at Chowrasta following the hailstorm. Spectacular sight of Darjeeling covered in hailstones... a sight many yearn for but a cause of many hardships for the residents..Will hit the tea plantations real bad.

Chowrasta in Darjeeling Hailstorm  31st March 2016

Meanwhile, the vehicular movement has been widely affected in and around the town, making it difficult for the drivers to negotiate the hailstorm-filled roads.


Here are some of the photos of today's  hailstorm in Darjeeling

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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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Driver Killed 5 Injured at 10 NH, Sikkim-Darjeeling Border

7:25 AM

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Sikkim

Writes: Vivek Chhetri

One person died and five others were injured when huge boulders came rolling down a hill and fell on vehicles on NH10 at Bhotay Bhir, near the border with Sikkim, where the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was carrying out road expansion work, in the early hours of today.

The five injured - all belong to one family which was on a pilgrimage to Bhutan - were struck in their SUV, almost buried under the debris, for four hours.

The slide that stretched for about 40 metres halted traffic on the highway, forcing vehicles going to and from Sikkim to take a detour via Mungsong and Kalimpong. The BRO said it was trying its best to remove the boulders and reopen the highway. However, it couldn't say when NH10 would be opened for traffic.

Apart from four vehicles, which included three trucks and the SUV, a 30-tonne BRO excavator operating at the stretch was also buried under huge piles of boulders. Bhotay Bhir is about 40km from Kalimpong, 75km from Siliguri and a short distance from Rangpo, the border town in Sikkim.

Police identified the dead as Mukesh Chhetri, 32, a truck driver who was a resident of Baikuntapally in Siliguri. He was on his way from Siliguri to Sikkim. "The five injured were occupants of the SUV, and are members of the same family. They have been admitted to a hospital in Sikkim," said a police source.

Yalmo Tamang, a resident of Majitar near Rangpo in East Sikkim, said her family, including husband Nima, daughter Sonam, son Tshering and nephew Pasang Bhutia, was travelling to Bhutan on a pilgrimage when the accident happened. "We were on a pilgrimage to Bhutan and left our home in Majitar in the wee hours and reached the spot (Bhotay Bhir) around 5pm. The back-cutting work was in progress, and a big JCB was right in front of our vehicle. We were stopped for almost 10 minutes at the site because of the work. Just when the JCB driver asked us to move forward, I heard a loud sound coming from above the road and our vehicle was hit by boulders within seconds.
"We immediately started crying out for help," she said.

However, her family had to wait for close to four hours before they were rescued by the BRO labourers. "I could see my children crying. I was scared and nervous. I thought we would die there. I felt we had to wait for eternity before some people heard our screams and rescued us after much effort. It was a horrific experience," she said.

Miraculously, Yalmo and her family have only sustained minor injuries in their hands and legs. All of them are being treated at the Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok. A BRO official said the Tamangs escaped because the groove of the JCB partly shielded the SUV from the falling boulders.

The slide is believed to have been triggered by the cutting down of the hill for road expansion.

Landslides are regular in the hills during the monsoon, but a rarity in the dry season. The BRO, which maintains NH10, has been engaged in the expansion of the highway and was working in the area as part of that exercise. The boulders came rolling down from the hill minutes after an excavator engaged in, what is called back-cutting in construction parlance in these parts, stopped work to allow the vehicles queued on either side of the road to pass through the stretch. Back-cutting is basically cutting down of a hill to flatten the place.

A BRO source, however, denied that they were working at the precise spot where the slide occurred. "Our men were working at a stretch about 15 metres from the spot towards Siliguri. One of our excavators was parked at the slide spot, and was buried under the debris," said the source.

His claim runs contrary to Yalmo's version narrated to The Telegraph.

All small vehicles bound for Sikkim and Siliguri took a detour via the Kalimpong-Munsong route. However, heavy vehicles were stuck on the highway since the alternative route is too narrow and steep, making it difficult for them to manoeuvre. "I have goods loaded in my truck and have no choice but to wait till the road is cleared of the debris and reopened. I hope the road reopens soon," said Rajen Bomzon, a truck driver bound for Sikkim.

Source Telegraph

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One Dead in a Massive Landslide Near ‪Rangpo‬ Sikkim - Many Trapped

8:54 PM

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West Bengal

A massive landslide has struck Bhoteybhir,  Darjeeling side near Rangpo.

As warned earlier by many experts that post the earthquake there would be a large possibility of landslides in the Northeast An unspecified number of people are feared either dead or buried after a large piece of rock, estimated to measure about 150 metres, broke off a hillock and crashed down on a stretch of the national highway connecting Sikkim with Bengal.

Recently an earthquake of the magnitude of 6.7 had hit the region and many experts feel that due to this the soil may have loosened in many hilly areas thereby creating a possibility of landslides.

While filing of this report one truck driver was dead and three people injured while it is suspected that three to four people are still buried under the debris.

The highway which connects Sikkim to the rest of the country is now blocked .It maybe mentioned that all movement of tourists, military and government and private vehicles will be affected  com if this highway remains blocked. Sikkim has no airport or rail connectivity, thereby cutting it off.

Massive Landslide Near ‪Rangpo‬ Sikkim

But there are many people who are also blaming that unscientific methods used by the BRO for widening of the highway and suspect that this could be  one of the reason there have been frequent landslides in the area.

‘Come monsoon and you will see a lot more landslides because Border Roads Organisation, is widening the roads in the area and and are using explosives  to carry out for construction ‘ says Sonam Wangmo , one of the residents of the area.

It was not possible to find out  how many vehicles or people might be buried under the landslide which took place at Bhotebhir on NH10, about 1 km from Rangpo which marks the Bengal-Sikkim border. It is 75 km from Siliguri in West Bengal.

Source: thenortheasttoday

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Sikkim Launches Disaster Information App

8:47 AM

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Sikkim

The Sikkim disaster management department today launched a free mobile app that would provide details of natural calamities like landslides and earthquakes, along with road condition and weather warning.

The app, developed by a Calcutta-based company, Sysepedia, also has information about recent land and crop damage, casualties and exgratia norms.

The Sikkim Disaster Management App was launched by the state relief commissioner, C.T. Wangdi, at the land revenue and disaster management department office.

"The application could be useful for smart phone users as a tool to get information on all disaster management activities in Sikkim," said Wangdi.

The app can be downloaded through Play Store in smart phones.

"One has to type Sikkim Disaster Management and install the app. The information would be updated every day. It is a free app," said a senior official.

The district collectors of all four districts of the state would be the "admin" and they would log in and update information.

South district collector Raj Yadav said: "We felt it was necessary to launch the application because the present system of disseminating information is time taking. Collectors would gather information from the BDOs and panchayats and report to the head office. Now, the process would be fast and it would be easily accessible."

The relief commissioner said the panchayats would be asked to download the application. "We will ask the block development officers to raise awareness of the application."

Source: Telegraph

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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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