7 months ago
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The decease toll successful the North Bengal floods has climbed to 28, with 5 much deaths being reported connected Monday (October 6, 2025) from Nagrakata successful West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district. Of this number, 23 radical were killed by landslides successful the Darjeeling territory connected October 4 and October 5. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has blamed mediocre flood absorption by the Centre for the devastation.
The Chief Minister announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh connected Monday to the adjacent of kin of the deceased, arsenic her authorities stepped up alleviation and rescue enactment successful North Bengal, including Darjeeling. During the day, Ms. Banerjee and her Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, travelled to North Bengal and inspected alleviation and rescue operations.
Around 500 tourists who were stranded successful the Darjeeling hills were rescued by the West Bengal constabulary and person been taken to Siliguri. Tourists stranded successful the Dooars person besides been evacuated by the West Bengal government. The Chief Minister has directed that tourists volition not person to wage for hotels and transport, and each expenses volition beryllium borne by the West Bengal government.
Of the 23 deaths successful Darjeeling, 11 radical died successful the Mirik subdivision and 12 deaths were reported from the Darjeeling Subdivision. Survivors from Mirik described however slush from landslides destroyed homes aboriginal connected Sunday (October 5). The picturesque bluish Mirik Lake that is simply a large tourer draw, has turned acheronian with slush. The country remains chopped off, and bridges and roads person been severely damaged. Thousands of radical person been affected by the landslides and flooding successful Darjeeling and different districts of northbound Bengal, including Jalpaiguri, Aliourduar, and Cooch Behar.
Centre to blame
The Chief Minister pointed the digit of blasted astatine the Centre and said that h2o from neighbouring states is causing flooding successful West Bengal. She said the floods successful North Bengal were “man made.” “North Bengal has been flooded with h2o from Bhutan and Sikkim. There was 300 mm of rainfall for 12 hours. Where volition each this h2o go? We tolerate h2o from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. How overmuch much volition we do?” Ms. Banerjee told media persons.
The Chief Minister added that h2o from Bhutan gushed successful done the Sankosh River and h2o from the Teesta came down from Sikkim, flooding respective areas of North Bengal. Ms. Banerjee erstwhile again blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and said that its reservoirs are releasing h2o astatine will, and said that flood absorption is nonexistent, and the Union authorities has not dredged the stream Ganga either.
She asked what usage dams were if h2o is released without holding. “Why bash you request to person the dams? ... All states could past person shared the interaction equally. But it is Bengal that’s astatine the receiving end,” she said. She emphasised the request for an Indo-Bhutan River Commission and said that unless specified an statement is made, North Bengal volition suffer.
Temporary bridge
The Chief Minister volition question to Mirik connected Tuesday (October 7). She has promised that a impermanent span implicit the Balasan River volition beryllium constructed successful the adjacent 20 days. The Dudiya robust span implicit the Balasan collapsed aft dense rainfall connected Sunday.
Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders was attacked by locals erstwhile they were visiting Nagrakata successful North Bengal. BJP MP Khagen Murmu suffered superior injuries to his caput and look and had to beryllium hospitalised. Siliguri MLA and enactment main whip successful the West Bengal assembly, Sankar Ghosh, was besides attacked. While the BJP enactment some successful Kolkata and Delhi condemned the attack, Ms. Banerjee urged restraint.
‘’Help the radical astir you. No untoward incidental is desirable astatine this time. We volition basal by each different and look this situation together,” she said.
