Women District Magistrates lead relief, rescue operations in flood battered North Bengal

A week aft the devastating floods successful North Bengal, which near thousands stranded and implicit 30 dead, teams of territory officials led by women District Magistrates (DMs) person ensured that alleviation and rescue operations reached the past affected idiosyncratic affected.

The territory administrations of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri — the 2 areas severely affected by the floods — are led by women District Magistrates.

In Darjeeling, the territory that witnessed maximum casualties, DM Preeti Goyal ensured that the territory officials scope each affected person. “We person reached retired to each the families affected by the floods. We person 17 alleviation centres and 30 gruel kitchens. On time one, erstwhile the calamity occurred, our teams had to trek 12 km to scope the affected areas. Since past our squad members person walked 6 kms connected ft mundane to scope retired to each household affected by the calamity,” Ms. Goyal said.

In the adjoining Jalpaiguri district, located successful the foothills of eastbound Himalayas, the challenges are antithetic arsenic respective beverage plantations person been damaged by the floods. Over the past respective days, Jalpaiguri DM Shama Parveen has been visiting distant beverage plot areas and outposts successful Nagrakata, Dhupguri, and Maynaguri. Ms. Parveen has been gathering residents, listening to their concerns, and ensuring contiguous assistance. The DM was besides seen checking the prime of nutrient being provided astatine the gruel kitchens.

“More than 3,000 radical person been rescued to safety, and 55 gruel kitchens were established, of which 37 proceed to operate. Over 35,000 radical person been provided food, water, and structure successful the territory with the proviso of cooked meals continuing,” Ms. Parveen said.

Ms. Parveen said that the endeavour of the DM has been to basal by each household successful distress. The territory medication of Jalpaiguri has besides deployed wildlife squads successful wood fringe areas to guarantee the information of some wildlife and residents.

Both District Magistrates confirmed that the alleviation camps are providing broad facilities to those affected by the disasters, including replacing mislaid textbooks and survey materials for students preparing for the Madhyamik examinations. Camps person been acceptable up to supply individuality documents, including certificates to students, which person been washed distant by floods. The Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri territory administrations person made arrangements for aesculapian facilities, due sanitation, and drinking h2o successful the flood-affected camps and areas.

While Darjeeling territory recorded 21 deaths, astir 10 deaths were reported successful Jalpaiguri. The territory medication has ensured that fiscal assistance has reached the adjacent of kin of the deceased successful 7 days.

Torrential rains had lashed Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri territory successful the intermittent nighttime of October 4 and 5, triggering large landslides arsenic the country received astir 261 mm of rainfall successful conscionable 12 hours.

The Jalpaiguri territory medication has restored energy proviso successful 691 locations. In Darjeeling, the medication has acceptable up Sufal Bangla stalls successful villages chopped disconnected from the remainder of the State to guarantee a caller proviso of vegetables. Both Ms. Parveen and Ms. Goyal said that their respective territory medication teams worked circular the timepiece traversing hard terrain to guarantee nary idiosyncratic was near behind.

On Sunday (October 12, 2025) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returned to northbound Bengal to oversee the rescue and alleviation operations. “She conducted a broad administrative reappraisal astatine Alipurduar to guarantee that affected radical person timely and effectual enactment from the State Government,” the Trinamool Congress said connected societal media.