Teesta floods submerge villages in Jalpaiguri, nearly 25,000 affected

Jalpaiguri: Vast areas of Jalpaiguri district have been left inundated as the Teesta River swelled following heavy rainfall and the release of water from the barrage.

Unofficial estimates suggest that between 22,000 and 25,000 people have been affected across Kranti and Chapadanga blocks.

In the Changmari Panchayat of Kranti Block, 78 houses in Saheb Bari and Paschim Dalaigram were submerged. In Chapadanga’s Basusuba area, floodwaters entered nearly 6,000 homes in Kerani Para, Master Para, and Sango Para. Residents waded through knee-deep water, some using makeshift rafts for movement. Even deep tube wells installed by the panchayat disappeared under floodwaters. At Master Para, bicycles were tied to bamboo poles to keep them from being swept away. Surabala Roy, carrying her grandchild on her back, took refuge on the embankment.

“The water keeps rising. How can we stay at home? That’s why we moved here,”

she said. Residents voiced frustration over inadequate relief. “The administration gave us some flattened rice and jaggery, but how can that feed four people? Our stoves are underwater—we cannot cook,” said Shilu Roy of Kerani Para. Others, like Fulmati Roy and Debaru Burman of Sango Para, noted that such flooding has become a yearly ordeal. Local leaders admitted the scale of the crisis. Panchayat member Gobinda Roy said: “In my area alone, nearly 25,000 people are affected. Until spurs are built in the Teesta, this devastation will continue.” Officials pointed to relentless rainfall as the cause. Since Saturday night, Jalpaiguri recorded 118 mm of rain, Malbazar 161 mm, Maynaguri 103 mm, and Alipurduar 126 mm, among others. Thousands of cusecs of water have also been released every four hours from the barrage.

The Irrigation department has issued a red alert for all unprotected areas of the Teesta, from Domohani to Mekhliganj near the Bangladesh border. “We issue warnings for unprotected areas, but jurisdiction limits our action there. Spur extensions in Changmari are planned after the monsoon,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, Chief Engineer of the North-Eastern Division.

Meanwhile, Kranti Panchayat Samiti president Panchanan Roy confirmed food distribution efforts. “If the water doesn’t recede by Monday, we will move flood victims to relief camps,” he assured.