The heavy rain that continued for the third day on Friday in sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim triggered fresh landslides and inundated new areas.

The showers triggered waterlogging at places like Siliguri and Cooch Behar, much to the inconvenience of people who had to trudge through knee-deep or waist-deep waters to attend to their daily chores.

The southwest monsoon, which is active in the region, is causing the rainfall. Similar weather conditions are likely to persist for another couple of days, Met office sources said.

Students walk home on a water-logged road at Patiramjot near Matigara in Siliguri on Friday. Picture by Passang Yolmo

Reports of landslides came on Friday from at least four locations along NH10 — the principal highway that connects the Himalayan state of Sikkim and the Kalimpong district of Bengal with the rest of the country.

“Boulders and rubble with mud descended the mountainsides at four different spots along NH10 — 27th Mile, 29th Mile, Swetijhora and SNT Jhora. The landslides disrupted traffic but excavators were engaged to clear the debris and the stretches were opened soon. If such weather conditions continue, there is an apprehension of more landslides along the highway,” an official of the Bengal public works department.

In Sikkim, a number of minor landslides were reported on different roads in Mangan district and also at places like Pelling, Yangang, Dentam and Ravangla.

“The downpour is quite intense in sub-Himalayan Bengal. From June 1 to July 14, it rained 28 per cent more in Jalpaiguri district (as compared to the average rainfall of this period). The rainfall is 48 per cent higher in Cooch Behar and 13 per cent higher in Darjeeling district,” said a weather expert.

In Siliguri and the surrounding areas, people had to face waterlogging since this morning. Localities like Ashoknagar, Millanpally, Haiderpara, Pradhannagar and Champasari of the city and adjoining areas of Jalpaiguri district like Fulbari, Thakurnagar, Hatiadanga, Ambikanagar, parts of New Jalpaiguri and the Eastern Bypass faced waterlogging.

An earthmover clears NH10 for traffic on Friday

The NJP-Digha (weekly) express which was scheduled to depart at 8pm on Friday has been rescheduled for 3am on Saturday because of waterlogging in the pit line at the NJP station.

Siliguri deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar said around 1,000 residents of the city were affected by the rain as water had entered their houses. “We have distributed dry food, baby food and tarpaulins among the victims,” he said.

Officials of the district disaster management unit of Darjeeling district said around 30 houses were damaged because of rain and landslides. They include 15 houses in Mirik block, eight in Darjeeling and another seven in Kurseong.

The rainfall, which has also occurred in the neighbouring country of Bhutan, has led to a flash flood in the Kabraytar area of Phuentsholing on Thursday, the bordering town in southern parts of the country that sits on the other side of Jaigaon of Alipurduar.

On Friday, sources said the Torsha river, which descends from Bhutan, caused another flash flood at the NHDCL (National Housing Development Corporation Limited) colony in the Bhutanese town.

The flash flood occurred around 5.45am, flooding the ground floors of 11 NHDCL housing blocks and two private buildings.

The state irrigation department has issued red (secondary) alerts along some stretches on either bank of the Teesta and the Jaldhaka.

Moumita Godara Basu, the DM of Jalpaiguri, visited some areas where flash floods were reported on Thursday. She spoke to the residents and promised necessary help.

In Alipurduar, there was some improvement in the flood conditions as the water levels of rivers receded.

The administration took the task of restoring the approach road of the bridge over the Goborjyoti river that connects Jaigaon with Hasimara. Workers were brought in and excavators were engaged at the spot. On Thursday, swollen waters of the river had washed away a portion of the approach road.

Sources said in Mechpara tea estate of Kalchini, where army personnel were deployed yesterday to rescue people, around 10 hectares of tea plantation has been washed away.

In Cooch Behar, a number of roads across the town got waterlogged. People staying closer to the rivers have been asked to shift to safer places.