Bengal Government Evacuates Over 6,500 People After Cloudburst in Sikkim Causes Teesta to Overflow

In response to an unusual surge in the Teesta's water level caused by a cloudburst in Sikkim, the Bengal government on Wednesday evacuated more than 6,500 people from various locations in the Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar districts and relocated them to 39 shelter camps.

To stop the loss of life, the government sent out seven SDRF teams along with four NDRF teams: two in Jalpaiguri, one each in Darjeeling and Siliguri.

According to a source, three bodies were discovered, although they have not yet been recognized. In addition, Sangsay gram panchayat in Kalimpong's Lava block has reported 14 people missing. They are being sought after, according to officials.

2,000 Bengali visitors were initially believed to be stranded in Sikkim, according to sources in Nabanna. Senior members of the Bengali government communicated with the Sikkimi government to guarantee their safety and prompt evacuation. The government also made an effort to get in touch with the visitors' families to inform them of the current situation in Sikkim.

Once a road connection to Sikkim is constructed, efforts would be made to bring the people back to the state, according to an official.

From the early hours of Wednesday, the chief minister met with senior government figures and gave them orders to start evacuation drives in susceptible districts, primarily those near the Teesta.

"Deeply disturbed to learn that 23 troops are missing following a flash flood in Sikkim that was caused by a cloudburst in the area... I've already requested that my Chief Secretary arrange the necessary disaster management preparatory steps asap (immediately). In her X handle (previously Twitter), Mamata Banerjee stated that "all measures have been made to evacuate residents of the districts of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri to safer locations.

According to sources in the state administration, the evacuation of residents began around three in the morning on Wednesday after Sikkim's chief secretary issued a message informing them of the cloudburst and ensuing flash flood in the Teesta river.

"The chief minister was informed right away of the potential calamity. The chief minister gave the chief secretary instructions to notify all of the involved DMs and SPs and mobilize all departments to guarantee the fast initiation of rescue efforts to prevent loss of life, according to an official.

The district authorities in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and portions of Cooch Behar initiated the evacuation and relocation of residents from susceptible locations as soon as the chief minister's directive arrived.

Senior officials also flocked to the devastated areas, including irrigation secretary O.S. Meena and secretary of the north Bengal development department A. R. Bardhan. Aroop Biswas, the minister of power, and Partha Bhowmick, the minister of irrigation, were among the ministers tasked with visiting the affected areas.