DARJEELING,: Incessant rainfalls last night at higher reaches of Sikkim saw a surge
in Teesta river’s water levels which submerged some houses at Teesta bazaar
besides disrupting traffic movement to Darjeeling via Lopchu-Peshok from both
Kalimpong and Sikkim.
Panic
spread among the Teesta Bazaar residents after the Teesta river started to rise
early Thursday morning causing people living close to the riverside to leave
their houses and head to safety.
“The water
level started rising from 1 am in the morning after which we have not slept. We
took out the necessary documents from our house and came out. There is no place
for us to go. The government has been seeing the condition here, but nothing
has been done. In the flash flood last year our entire property was taken away
by the river and we have been living in a relative’s place but now that house
is also not safe with the water rising like this,” said Sunaina Devi Prasad.
Prasad, a local
resident, alleged that the government has not done anything like putting up
protection walls on the river side.
“One of
the main reasons that the flood like situation took place here is due to heavy
rainfall witnessed at Sikkim and the water level of the river rising. The
rainfall was not heavy here last night so people were not even alert as this
happened suddenly. The rainy season has not even started properly, and the
situation has become such. We dread to think what will happen during the
monsoons,” said Wasim Ansari, a local at Teesta Bazaar.
“This
falls under a natural calamity so the administration or the NHPC should do
something for us. We fear that when the monsoon starts the river could come up
higher,” said Ansari.
Many
families of Teesta Bazaar are now staying in houses of their relatives or in
community halls. They demanded that the administration should take measures for
their permanent rehabilitation soon.
As the
water level rose, the road from Sikkim and Kalimpong via Lopchu-Peshok is also
closed with the road stretch at Teesta Bazaar submerged under water. Vehicles
and two-wheelers parked on the roadside have been submerged under the water.
The NH 10,
the main road to Siliguri from Kalimpong and Sikkim, is open.
Darjeeling
MP Raju Bista blamed the West Bengal government and the Gorkhaland Territorial
Administration for not taking any preventive measures as yet.
“Despite
of the magnitude of the disaster caused by the flash floods last year the State
government has failed to take any substantial actions to aid the affected
citizens, and the areas that have been damaged due to the flood. Despite my repeated
requests for taking mitigating measures to prevent further damages, both the State
and the GTA have continued to turn a blind eye and deaf ears to the danger
facing those living along the Teesta river,” said Bista in a press statement.
“Teesta is
flooding again, and it is threatening to engulf Teesta Bazaar and areas nearby.
This is happening due to the failure of the State and the GTA of not taking any
concrete steps to prevent such flooding, despite it being over eight months
since the tragedy in October,” he added.
