Darjeeling landslides: The mountains mourn  

I stayed under the mud all night. 35-year-old Fendo Sangmu Bhutia, wiping her tears, said, “My 12-year-old daughter died while she was sleeping next to me, I could not save her. Her nine-year-old nephew was also buried under the same landslide. Bhutia, whose voice got choked up as she thought she had lost her only child, remembers that they went to their mother’s house in Mirik to celebrate Dashain, the most important festival of Nepal, celebrated during Dasara on October 2. This time, Hindus believe that the goddess Durga is the demon He believes that he fought and defeated Mahishasura. The festival ended with the funeral of two children.

During the intervening night of October 4 and 5, heavy rain lashed West Bengal’s Darjeeling district and other parts of north Bengal, triggering more than 110 major landslides, with the region receiving nearly 261 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours. There were more than 32 dead, more than 40 injured, thousands more stranded and many more missing.

Mirik, a tourist center located between alpine forests and a lake, was one of the worst affected. Many say they have not witnessed such destruction in 30 years.

In many areas the soil has become unstable, roads have disappeared under layers of mud, and reaching homes means trudging through mud and crumbling boulders while balancing life, death, and mountain cliffs. Deep in this landslide-affected area, Bhutia and her family sit silently, trying to find the reason behind their child’s death.

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As the intensity of the debris became apparent, condolence messages poured in from several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The CM also announced to give compensation of ₹ 5 lakh to the families of the deceased. As of October 10, 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 made a quick visit to the demolition site on October 6; Banerjee and the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, visited the next day. The BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the other of failing to take adequate measures to stop the disaster and contain its aftermath.

Banerjee blamed the Central government’s poor flood management for the devastation. He added that the floods were “man-made” due to the release of water from Bhutan and the rapid construction of hydropower projects on the Teesta river, which flows from Sikkim to West Bengal.

“It is foolishness to expect a humane face from this government. No state in India has ever seen such an intolerant, vindictive and incompetent government. This government has not made any effort to alleviate the suffering of the people of north Bengal,” the Bengal BJP chief said.

Following floods and landslides, the Bhutanese government issued a flood warning on October 5. A warning from the neighboring country’s National Center of Hydrology and Meteorology said, “The government of West Bengal State of India is requested to be informed so that it can be alert and prepared for possible situations.” The statement also stated that they received information from Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) that the Tala hydroelectric dam gates were not opened and the river water was overflowing from the dam.

A cry for your loved ones

During Dashain, many relatives had returned to their maternal homes to celebrate the festival with their families. Houses were full of people, holiday joys and celebrations. About 5 km away from Bhutia’s house, Nisha Lama lost both her mother and sister in another landslide that entered their house while they were asleep, exhausted from the festivities.

“We heard noises around 1.30 am but thought it was a storm and incessant rain. Later around 5 am, we realized that our family members were buried under the mud in their sleep,” says Nisha. Nisha’s sister Sadhna Tamang Lama (35) had come from her matrimonial home in Nepal. Four days later, she returned to the coffin with her husband, who was too upset to speak.

The once blue water of Lake Mirik turned brown due to overflowing mud. At least 11 people died here. Here, some are crying because they have lost loved ones, while others are crying because of the loss of jobs that feed their families. Unlike nature’s onslaught, people mourn silently. The demolition took place about three weeks before Deepavali, India’s biggest festival.

Nisha’s family home is currently being cleared of muddy mud. A tree trunk got stuck inside the bedroom. He suspects that if the mud had continued to flow for another 10 minutes, he would have been buried with his family.

Broken bridges, broken communication

The main road between Siliguri and Mirik was closed due to the collapse of the iron bridge in Dudhia village. | Photo Credit: Shrabana Chatterjee

The main road between Siliguri and Mirik was closed after a large iron bridge over Balason river near Dudhia village collapsed due to heavy gushing water. More than 25 families from the riverside were shifted to Dudhia community hall, about a kilometer away. Most of those who realized the problem ran away from home with the clothes and documents on them.

18-year-old Pukar Chettri, who was studying in the 11th grade, was caught in the middle of the chaos. As he sits in the relief camp, fighting mosquitoes in the middle of the flood and trying to stay away from contagious diseases, he realizes that his school books and uniform have disappeared in the chaos. He fears it will take a long time for him to return to work.

“We tried to wake up as many people as we could, using flashlights to look for people. The soil under our houses was dragged away,” he says, referring to buildings that partially lack supporting land, making it risky to live in them. “Where do we go now?” Pukar says. Many are so traumatized that they cannot sleep at night for fear they may have to be evacuated at any moment. Family members take turns keeping watch while others sleep for a few hours.

The faces in the relief camp change as a dark cloud begins to form overhead and raindrops hit the ground around them. There is anxiety and fear.

The Prime Minister promised that a temporary bridge would be built in the area until the iron bridge is rebuilt. Now locals take circuitous roads between Mirik and Siliguri, covering 50 km and more than 5 hours. Previously, the journey took approximately 2.5 hours.

Manabendra Modak, director general of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the regional autonomous body that manages the Darjeeling hills, says restoration work is ongoing. “More than 110 major landslides have been recorded; we cannot count even the smallest ones. The devastation is unprecedented. No tourists were stranded anywhere; they were rescued. Considering the level of destruction, it will take time for things to return to normal,” adds Modak.

Besides the local administration, three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in north Bengal, including one in the severely affected Mirik district. Apart from the landslides and damages in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, Dooars in the foothills, especially in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, were also seriously affected.

rope rescue

Under the weight of death and destruction, stories of courage and resilience began to emerge. 130 km away from Mirik, Nagrakata Block Health Officer of Jalpaiguri district, Dr. Irfan Mollah’s video went viral on social media.

He was seen heading towards Bamandanga village via zip line between two mountains to tend to injured patients and pregnant mothers stranded in flood-affected areas. His actions were applauded by both locals and the administration, but his work did not end there; it had just begun.

Since the morning of October 5, when the chest-deep water began to recede, the doctor and his team set out on foot to find the affected people in their block, only to realize that at least three villages had been completely cut off from communications.

“We found many dead bodies in the last three days. Children and parents died. We provided first aid and basic medicines to the injured. Sorboshantyo hoye gache manush, (There is nothing left for the people),” adds Dr. Irfan. The local government provided clothing and food aid to the affected people.

Darjeeling District Magistrate Preeti Goyal said her team was working tirelessly to reach and rehabilitate people in one of the 33 camps set up to provide temporary relief. “Our team members walk up to 6 km every day to reach affected families,” he says.

Citizenship is in danger

Manebhanjan, a village on the Indo-Nepal border with a population of about 2,300, is considered the gateway to the Himalayan Kanchenjunga Range and is about 70 km from Mirik, according to the Panchayat. Manebhanjan, which means crossroads in Nepali, is also part of the Darjeeling district. Two children and three adults of the Chettri family died after being crushed by a landslide here.

Locals say no media or government officials came to meet them, except for Sashastra Seema Bal, who helped find the bodies. “We live on the border, so our citizenship is constantly under scrutiny. But we are Indian citizens. Don’t we deserve the same respect as everyone else?” says one local.

Children’s toys and clothes lie in the mud in the Chettris’ dilapidated house. Bright light from the broken windows comes in but Raju Chettri, who lost his daughter, experiences the dark pain of losing his family.

In the Chettri family, the five family members still alive live in seclusion for 13 days to mourn their loved ones. According to Nepalese tradition, no one is allowed to touch them while they are sitting indoors.

“I was not at home when the incident happened. I was leading a marching group when I got the news,” said march leader Raju (37), trying to control his tears. He was born and raised in this small village; These areas have never seen this much destruction.

The Chettri family’s citizenship is being questioned and the compensation of ₹5 lakh declared by the government is now in jeopardy. Darjeeling Sub-District Officer Richard Lepcha clearly states: “All five are Nepalese nationals. The Nepalese government can compensate them.”

However, Raju shows his voter ID; His late mother also had one. His daughter had a birth certificate. Locals say the other three family members who died in the same house were guests from Nepal.

Locals near Sukhiapohri are trying to clear debris to find what’s left of their lives and make way for transportation. | Photo Credit: Shrabana Chatterjee

Travel remains suspended in the serene place where hundreds of tourists flock every day to reach Sandakphu mountain, the highest point in West Bengal that offers 180-degree views of the Greater Himalayas, one of the Himalayan ranges. Anil Tamang, president of the Land Rovers Association, says 90% of the population in their village depends on tourism and the suspension of tourism during the peak season has left them without any source of livelihood. While the lamentations continue, he comes across the news that the roads will be opened. He joins his colleagues to breathe a sigh of relief.

While the mountains bear witness to nature’s fury, a strong sense of resilience shines through their shadows.

shrabana.chatterjee@thehindu.co.in