The monsoon has arrived in full force across much of India but for North Bengal, there is no place where it is having a bigger impact right now. Days of relentless rainfall have left roads flooded, rivers swollen, transport services disrupted and thousands of residents anxiously watching the skies on guard for more rain.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for parts of North Bengal and warned of extremely heavy rainfall in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts. Some isolated areas could get more than 20 cm of rain in a short span of time and flooding and new landslides are expected, weather officials said.
The situation has already gotten serious in many parts of the region. Since Thursday, heavy rain has risen river levels and damaged critical infrastructure. In Kurseong, a temporary bridge at Dudhia was washed away after the Balason River swelled due to heavy downpour.
Heavy rain in North Bengal pic.twitter.com/U7d4ewf8dY
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Most important to the people is the disruption of connectivity through the hills. Laid apart on National Highway 110, one of the key routes between Darjeeling and Siliguri, there have been landslides. The highway has been closed off for safety reasons.
In addition, a major section of the three-lane road between Kurseong and Siliguri has collapsed. Fallen trees and debris have slowed people down even further, and commuters are stranded, making it even more difficult to travel. We are working 24/7 to clear roads and restore normal traffic but it is so rainy, and people can’t keep going,” said the mayor, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The weather has also affected one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions— the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, known as the toy train— which cancelled all services on Friday for safety reasons. The railway authorities say operations will resume only when tracks and surrounding areas are declared safe.
North India Under Thunderstorm Alert
While North Bengal is the biggest worry, the weather conditions are getting more unstable across North India as well. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms, lightning and heavy winds in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand in the next few days. Some places could experience winds reaching 60-70 kmph and hailstorms may hit areas in the Himalayan region.
Satellite images released by the weather department showed broad lightning activity in many northern states in recent days, which was indicative of the extent of the ongoing weather system.
Northeast Faces Risk of Flooding and Landslides
The northeast will also witness heavy monsoon activity. Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will see widespread rainfall with some areas experiencing very heavy to extremely heavy showers.
And emergency officials are especially worried about flash floods and landslides in the hilly areas with high elevations vulnerable to heavy rains and landslides from the constant rainfall might quickly become dangerous.
However, North Bengal remains under the microscope. And with roads destroyed, train services disrupted and more rain on the way, residents hope for a break in the weather. But forecasts are that the monsoon is not yet over and the days to come are crucial for one of the country’s most rain-battered areas.
