Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa on Wednesday instructed the Kurseong municipality and representatives of the hill body to take legal steps against those who disposed of garbage in jhoras (mountain streams) to prevent a flash flood-like situation in the town.

In the hills, streams and springs serve as the channels to carry rainwater downstream. However, many streams are clogged because of the continuous garbage dumping. As a result, a sudden bout of downpours leads to a flash flood-like situation in the hill town and even in the neighbouring hamlets.

“There is a garbage collection and disposal system in these towns, yet a section of people dump wastes and block the natural streams. This practice must be stopped in Kurseong and other hill towns. Yesterday (on Tuesday), we witnessed the situation in Kurseong town and sent a clear instruction that anybody found dumping waste in streams and springs will face legal action from the local civic body and the GTA,” said Thapa, who was in Kurseong on Wednesday.

On September 3. as rainfall occurred in Kurseong, NH110, the arterial road of the town, along with some roads, went under the water. Gallons of water inundated the roads and streets and even some shops in low-lying areas, as it could not pass through the streams and springs which are almost filled up with garbage. The most affected area was ward 5 of the hill town.

During his visit, Thapa found that used mattresses, plastic, and building materials were dumped in the streams and springs.

Pranam Rasaily, an executive member of the GTA from Kurseong, said Thapa had asked him to identify all such springs and streams that were blocked by garbage and clean them on an emergency basis.

“He has also told us to install CCTV cameras near these natural waterbodies and keep a tab on the footage. Anybody found disposing of waste in the waterbodies will face legal steps,” Rasaily, who is also in charge of the GTA’s branch secretariat in Kurseong, said.

Brigen Gurung, the head of the board of administrators (BoA) at the Kurseong municipality, and officials of the state public health engineering (PHE) department and the civic body, also accompanied Thapa during his visit.

The civic body and the GTA, sources said, will soon conduct a joint survey to identify the streams. “The locations where the CCTV cameras would be installed, will also be identified,” said a source.

The municipality, which is being run by the BoA, has 20 wards. “We are trying to address some other issues in Kurseong. They include illegal parking and encroachment,” said a representative of the civic body.