Heavy rainfall cuts off Falakata from Alipurduar

Alipurduar: Due to heavy rains overnight on Saturday, Falakata was cut off from the district town of Alipurduar as diversions on National Highway 31-D were swept away by the overflowing Buri Torsa and Sanjay rivers. The Buri Torsa River is flowing over the diversion near Char Torsa and a hazard has arisen at the near Palashbari due to the overflow of the Sanjay River. As a result, thousands of people are facing extreme difficulties.

The distance from Falakata to Alipurduar via Sonapur is 37 km. However, due to the flooding, this road has been cut off, necessitating a detour via Pundibari in Cooch Behar to reach Alipurduar. Public transport has stopped as operators fear losses from the extra distance. The construction of a 45-km four-lane highway from Salsalabari to Sonapur to Falakata started about seven years ago.

Allegedly, the construction is progressing very slowly due to the negligence of the National Highway Authority. Pradeep Roy, a resident of Shishargor in Alipurduar, said: “Everything is normal in the dry season, but when the monsoon comes, our tension rises. We are victims of the extreme indifference of the National Highway Authority and the Central government.”

Attempts to contact National Highway Authority Director Sanjeev Sharma regarding the condition of the highway were unsuccessful as he did not pick up the phone.

Due to incessant rains in Sikkim over the past few days, the Teesta, Jaldhaka and other rivers have become a scourge in the Jalpaiguri district. However, rivers from Bhutan in Alipurduar district had been normal. Now, the rivers in Alipurduar have started overflowing due to the overnight rainfall on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has issued a warning of heavy rain in Alipurduar until June 19, causing concern for the district administration.

District Magistrate R Vimala said: “We are monitoring the situation. Campaigns have been started to warn the people in areas adjacent to the rivers.”