On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning for Bengal due to the impending heavy to extremely heavy rains. Heavy rains have already created severe landslides that have affected daily life in Sikkim and Darjeeling.
According to the IMD, increased rainfall activity is very likely to continue up until September 5 over the districts of North Bengal due to the monsoon trough’s stay over Sub-Himalayan Bengal.
Over Jalpaiguri and Kalimpang districts, isolated areas of extremely heavy rainfall are likely to occur. Over the next three days, there is a possibility that one or two locations in the Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, and Coochbehar districts could see heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
On September 3, the IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall for the North and South Dinajpur districts. The following day, a similar situation will prevail over Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri.
In the meantime, a major landslide in East Sikkim’s Singtam-Rangpo region blocked National Highway 20 and cut off Gangtok. This was the second time this week that a landslide has closed the key road leading from the capital of Sikkim to Siliguri in West Bengal.
Since constant rain has loosened rocks and cliffs, exposing them to landslides, the Roads and Bridges Department has issued a warning encouraging people to avoid travelling unless it is absolutely necessary. In addition, 74 tourists—including women and children—stranded in North Sikkim’s Yumthang Valley were rescued by the Indian Army.
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