Leaders rush to devastating landslides’ epicentre Mirik
Darjeeling: The day after the Kalimpong district and Darjeeling Hills were battered by incessant rainfall, leaving more than 20 dead and many more missing, leaders made a beeline for Mirik in the Darjeeling district, the epicentre of the tragedy. 11 people have died in the Mirik subdivision alone. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be visiting Mirik on Tuesday to take stock of the situation on ground zero. Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Executive Anit Thapa visited Soureni in Mirik, the epicentre of the devastating landslides, to assess the situation on the ground and meet the affected families. Soureni had recorded four deaths. After inspecting the landslide-hit area on Monday, Thapa interacted with the survivors at a relief camp.
Expressing sorrow, Thapa assured the affected families of full support from the administration. “I know the pain you are going through. Please give us some time — we will rebuild homes for those who have lost everything, at safer locations,” he said. Referring to his recent meeting with Chief Minister, Thapa said: “We discussed how to provide maximum assistance to the victims. The Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh to each bereaved family and a special Home Guard job for one family member of each deceased. We must thank her for this compassionate decision.”
Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday stated that he has spoken to the Army top brass for the construction of a temporary Bailey bridge on the Balason river at Dudhey and that a survey has been conducted by Army engineers.
Flanked by Principal Secretary of the PWD Antara Acharya, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated: “The PWD will build an alternative permanent bridge. It will take a year to be completed. Meanwhile a Hume pipe bridge is under construction. This will tentatively be completed within 20 days.”
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the Dudhey area of Mirik, accompanied by MP Shringla, on Monday. “A lot of destruction has occurred due to this natural calamity. This is not the time for a blame game—both state and Central governments must work together to deal with this situation. I will send reports to competent authorities of the State and Centre after reviewing the situation,” stated the Governor.
In response to the disaster, Raj Bhavan is learnt to have activated its emergency “peace room” for round-the-clock monitoring and coordination. A 24×7 Rapid Action Cell has also been set up to handle distress calls and extend help to those affected in landslide and flood-hit areas. The cell, headed by an Officer on Special Duty, can be contacted at 033-22001641 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Lok Sabha MP Raju Bista also visited the affected areas in Mirik. Monday saw the clearing of landslide debris on many important hill roads, thereby restoring road connectivity. The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. issued a notice imposing restrictions on the movement of heavy commercial vehicles on Mondays (12 am to 11:59 pm); Wednesdays (12 am to 11:59 pm); and Fridays (12 am to 11:59 pm) of the week on the National Highway 10 (connecting Siliguri to Sikkim).
