Heavy rain causes waterlogging in Siliguri, Jalpaiguri; More showers ahead
Siliguri/ Jalpaiguri: Heavy rainfall lashed Siliguri and several parts of North Bengal on Thursday night, causing waterlogging in many areas of the city. The pre-monsoon rain continued for several hours, leaving several roads and localities submerged.
Several areas of Siliguri, including parts of Sevoke Road, College Para, the area near the children’s park, Shiv Nagar and Babupara, were affected by waterlogging. Water entered the ground floors of a few shopping malls on Sevoke Road. Nearby areas, such as Fulbari and Baribhasha, also experienced similar conditions. The Jabravita underpass was inundated and the waterlogging continued there on Friday, leading to inconvenience for commuters and local residents. Siliguri received 82.5mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours (recorded on Friday morning).
Addressing the situation, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb said that several development projects, including road construction works, are currently underway across the city. As a result, sand, stones and other construction materials got washed into the drainage system during the rain, blocking many drains and leading to waterlogging in different areas.
“The rainfall was heavy, which caused water to accumulate in several places. Sand and stones from construction sites were also carried into the drains, which blocked the drainage system and worsened the situation. However, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) team worked till late at night to control the situation and the water level receded by morning,” Deb said.
He further informed that a meeting with the concerned authorities has already been held to address the issue and prevent similar situations in the future. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that rainfall will continue in the Darjeeling district for the next seven days. According to the forecast, heavy rainfall ranging between 7 and 11 cm is likely at one or two places on March 14, 16 and 17, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph. Thunderstorms with gusty winds and lightning are also likely at isolated places on March 15, 18, 19 and 20.
A hail storm hit Nagrakata and the surrounding areas of Jalpaiguri on Thursday night. In Sukhani Basti, heavy rainfall led to rainwater accumulating up to waist level in parts of the locality. Several Areca nut (supari) trees were uprooted in Sukhani Basti due to the strong winds. In the Wholesale More area of Nagrakata, a supari tree fell on electric wires, causing a short circuit and disrupting the local power supply. In Duramari under Dhupguri, two trees were uprooted, damaging two mud houses.
Meanwhile, continuous overnight rainfall in Cooch Behar raised the water level of the Torsa River, submerging the temporary bamboo bridge at Fashir Ghat and creating difficulties for residents.
