Union Minister Kiren Rijiju visited Darjeeling on Wednesday to assess the devastation caused by floods and landslides, urging the West Bengal government to intensify relief measures. He called for a comprehensive mapping of the disaster and swift rehabilitation of those affected.
Rijiju, accompanied by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, inspected damage and interacted with residents who had lost homes and livelihoods. “From what we have seen so far and as per reports, the impact of the rains in Darjeeling has been huge. There has been an immense loss of life and property. Local representatives and administration are doing all they can, but the state government needs to step up its relief measures. The CM came to Siliguri to meet the victims of the disaster, but we want the state government to map the disaster… Those affected by the disaster, who have lost their livelihood and homes, should be provided relief and rehabilitated. This will be a challenge,” Rijiju said.
BJP MLA Neeraj Zimba described the situation as being in “doldrums” and criticised the state government for its delayed response. “The state government has not declared an emergency so far after this disaster. There's a huge difference between Kolkata and Darjeeling. They consider Darjeeling to be merely a tourist spot, not their own. They are extremely careless in handling issues here. What has happened has happened. They cannot bring back the lives that have been lost, but those who have survived need to be rehabilitated. We will do whatever we can, but it is the prerogative of the state government; the onus lies on them,” he said.
Also read: October rains, waterlogged slopes behind Darjeeling landslides: GSI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed that 27 people, including one Nepali and one Bhutanese, have died due to heavy rains and landslides in north-west Bengal. She visited the site of the Dudhia bridge collapse in Mirik and described the incident as “man-made, flash flood, landslide with heavy rain.” She assured that all departments are working on rescue and restoration efforts. “We are trying our best. So many bridges are choked. Infrastructure is damaged. We have not been getting funds from the Centre for 5 years. Awas Yogana, Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has been stopped for the last 5 years. Double-engine governments receive money, but not the West Bengal government. We don't want people to suffer because of this. It will take time, but we will revive it,” Banerjee said.
District authorities confirmed at least 18 deaths due to heavy rains, with Mirik recording 11 fatalities, Jorebunglow four, Sukhia Pokhari two, and Darjeeling Sadar one.
Follow us
