I remained buried under the mud all night. My 12-year-old daughter died sleeping right next to me, I couldn’t save her,” says 35-year-old Fendo Sangmu Bhutia, wiping her tears. His nine-year-old nephew was also buried under the same landslide. His voice breaking as he thinks about losing his only child, Bhutia recalls visiting his maternal home in Mirik on October 2 to celebrate Dashain, Nepal’s most important festival. Dussehra. Hindus believe that during this time Goddess Durga fought with the demon Mahishasura and won over him. The festivities ended with the funeral of the two children.
On the intervening night of 4th and 5th October, Torrential rains occurred in Darjeeling district of West Bengal And more than 110 major landslides occurred in other parts of North Bengal as the region received about 261 mm of rain in just 12 hours. More than 32 people were killed, 40 were injured, thousands were left stranded and many went missing.
Mirik, a tourist resort nestled between alpine forests and a lake, was the worst affected. Many say they have not seen such devastation in 30 years.
In many areas, the soil has become unstable, roads have disappeared under layers of mud and reaching homes means wading through mud and rock fragments, balancing between life, death and mountain cliffs. Inside this landslide-hit area, Bhutia and his family sit quietly, trying to find the reason behind their children’s death.
political consequences
As the severity of the debris came to light, several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, expressed condolences. The CM also announced ₹5 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased. By 10 October, the West Bengal government had released ₹1.60 crore to the next of kin of the 32 deceased.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Samik Bhattacharya immediately visited the destruction site on 6 October; Banerjee and the leader of opposition in West Bengal, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, made their visit the next day. The BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress blamed each other for not taking adequate measures to prevent the disaster and control its aftermath.
Banerjee has blamed the poor flood management of the central government for this devastation. He said the floods were “man-made” due to the release of water from Bhutan and large-scale construction of hydropower projects on the Teesta river that flows from Sikkim into West Bengal.
The Bengal BJP president said, “It is foolish to expect a humane face from this government. No state in India has seen such an intolerant, vindictive and incompetent government. This government has made no efforts to alleviate the pain of the people of North Bengal.”
The Bhutan government issued a flood warning following floods and landslides on 5 October. “It is requested to remain alert and inform the West Bengal state government of India to be prepared for possible situations,” an alert from the neighboring country’s National Center of Hydrology and Meteorology said. The statement also said that they have received information from the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) that the gates of the Tala hydroelectric dam have failed to open and river water is flowing from the dam.
a cry for loved ones
During Dashain, many relatives had returned to their maternal homes to celebrate the festival with their families. The houses were full of people, festive joys and celebrations. About 5 km away from Bhutia’s house, Nisha Lama lost both her parents and sister in another landslide that entered their homes while they were sleeping, exhausted from all the festivities.
Nisha says, “We heard a noise around 1.30 in the night, but we thought it was a thunderstorm and continuous rain. Later, around 5 in the morning, we realized that our family members were buried under the mud in their sleep.” Nisha’s 35-year-old sister Sadhna Tamang Lama had come from her marital home in Nepal. She returns four days later in the coffin with her husband, who is too distraught to speak.
The water of Mirik Lake, which was once blue, has turned brown after being filled with mud. At least 11 people have died here. Here some people cry over the loss of their loved ones, some people cry over the loss of the business that sustains their families. Unlike the onslaught of nature, people mourn silently. The devastation comes just three weeks before India’s biggest festival, Diwali.
Nisha’s family house is now being cleaned of dirty mud. A tree trunk has entered the bedroom. She suspects that if the mud had continued to flow for 10 more minutes, she would have been buried with her family.
broken bridges, broken communications
The main road between Siliguri and Mirik was closed due to the collapse of an iron bridge in Dudhiya village. , Photo Courtesy: Shrabhana Chatterjee
The main road between Siliguri and Mirik was closed after a large iron bridge over Balasan river near Dudhiya village collapsed due to strong flow of water. More than 25 families from the river bank have been shifted to Dudhiya Community Hall, about a kilometer away. Sensing trouble, most people ran away from home with clothes and documents on their bodies.
18-year-old Pukar Chhetri, studying in class 11, is caught in this turmoil. As he sits in a relief camp fighting mosquitoes, trying to stay away from infectious diseases amid the floods, he realizes that his school books and uniform have been lost in the chaos. He fears it will take a long time for him to return to studies.
“We tried to wake up as many people as possible; we searched for people by torchlight. The soil beneath our houses has washed away,” he says, referring to the structures that have no supporting ground beneath them, making them difficult to live in. “Where do we go now?” Call says. Many people are so traumatized that they cannot sleep at night for fear that they may have to leave the house at any time. Family members take turns keeping watch as others catch a few hours of sleep.
As dark clouds begin to gather over their heads and raindrops begin to touch the ground around them, the faces in the relief camp change. There is anxiety and fear.
The Chief Minister has promised that a temporary bridge will be constructed in the area until the iron bridge is rebuilt. Now, locals are traveling 50 km and more than 5 hours between Mirik and Siliguri. Earlier this journey used to take about 2.5 hours.
Manabendra Modak, executive director of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the regional autonomous body that administers the Darjeeling hills, says restoration work is underway. “More than 110 major landslides have been recorded – smaller landslides that we can’t even begin to count. The devastation is unparalleled. No tourists are stranded anywhere; they have been rescued. Given the level of destruction it will take time for things to return to normal,” says Modak.
Along with the local administration, three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in north Bengal, including one in the severely affected Mirik area. Along with landslides and damage in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, the Dooars in the foothills, especially Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, have been severely affected.
rescue on ropes
Stories of courage and resilience are beginning to emerge amid the burden of death and destruction. A video of Dr Irfan Mollah, Nagarakata Block Medical Officer in Jalpaiguri district, 130 km from Mirik, went viral on social media.
He was seen traveling to Bamandanga village by hanging on a zipline rope between two mountains to take care of injured patients and pregnant mothers stranded in flood-affected areas. His actions were appreciated by the local people and administration alike, but his work did not end there; This had just begun.
As the chest-deep water began to recede on the morning of October 5, the doctor and his team set out on foot to search for affected people in their blocks, only to discover that at least three villages were completely cut off.
“We have found many bodies in the last three days. Children and parents have died. We have provided first aid and basic medicines to the injured. Sorboshantyo hoye gache manush, (people are left with nothing),” says Dr Irfan. The local administration has provided clothes and food to the affected people.
Darjeeling District Magistrate Preeti Goyal says her team is working tirelessly to reach out and rehabilitate people in one of the 33 camps set up to provide temporary relief. “Our team members have walked up to 6 km every day to reach the affected families,” she says.
citizenship in danger
Manebhanjan, a village on the India-Nepal border with a population of about 2,300 according to the panchayat, is considered the gateway to the Himalayan Kanchenjunga range, and is about 70 km from Mirik. Manebhanjan – which means junction in Nepali – is also part of Darjeeling district. Here, two children and three adults of the Chhetri family were crushed to death in the landslide.
Local people here say that apart from the Sashastra Seema Bal who helped in recovering the bodies, no media or government officials have come to meet them. “We live on the border, so our citizenship is under constant scrutiny. But we are Indian citizens. Don’t we deserve the same respect as others?” A local person says.
Inside the Chatris’ destroyed home, children’s toys and clothes lie in the mud. Bright light is coming through the broken windows, but Raju Chhetri, who has lost his daughter, is deeply saddened by the loss of his family.
The five members of the Chhetri family who are still alive are now staying at a secluded place for 13 days to mourn their loved ones. According to Nepali tradition, no one is allowed to touch them when they are sitting in their enclosure.
“I was not at home when it happened. I was leading a trek group when I got the news,” says Raju, a 37-year-old trek leader, trying to control his tears. He was born and brought up in this small village; They have never seen such devastation in these parts.
The Chhetri family’s citizenship is in question and the compensation of ₹5 lakh announced by the government is now at stake. Richard Lepcha, Darjeeling sub-divisional officer, is clear: “All five of them are Nepali citizens. The Nepal government can compensate them.”
However, Raju presents his voter ID card; His dead mother had one too. His daughter had a birth certificate. Local people say that three other members of the family who died in the same house were guests from Nepal.
Locals near Sukhiyapokhari are trying to clear debris to make way for the search and transportation of their remains. , Photo Courtesy: Shrabhana Chatterjee
At the otherwise quiet place, where hundreds of tourists come every day to begin their journey to reach Sandakphu Mountain, one of the Himalayan ranges, the highest point in West Bengal for a 180-degree view of the Great Himalayas, travel is suspended. Anil Tamang, head of the Land Rovers Association, says 90% of the population of his village is dependent on tourism and suspending it during the peak season has left them with no resources to earn livelihood. As he laments, he gets news of the roads opening. He joins his colleagues to share the sigh of relief.
As the mountains bear witness to nature’s wrath, a strong sense of resilience shines through its shadow.
shrabana.chatterjee@thehindu.co.in
