Amidst the ongoing recovery efforts in north Bengal following the devastating October floods and landslides, a Siliguri-based citizens’ group, Samanway Dal – Jomi, Jibika O Poribesh Banchao Abhijan – has submitted a 13-point proposal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee through the Divisional Commissioner of Jalpaiguri. The appeal comes in the wake of the chief minister’s repeated visits to the flood-hit region, reflecting growing civil concern over what the group describes as “long-term environmental degradation and corporate exploitation” behind the recurring disasters.
The memorandum draws attention to the massive floods and landslides that struck the region on 4-5 October, killing at least 58 people, including citizens of neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan. It argues that the calamity was not a mere natural disaster, but a direct result of years of unregulated corporate activities, reckless construction, and neglect of environmental safeguards in north Bengal’s ecologically fragile Himalayan and sub-Himalayan zones.
The group cited that over 300 mm of rainfall within 12 hours had triggered more than 110 major landslides across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar, destroying vital infrastructure such as national highway 10, the Dudhiya Bridge over the Balason river, and stretches of railway lines. Thousands of people were stranded until the National Disaster Response Force and local authorities carried out large-scale rescue operations.
While welcoming the government’s immediate relief measures, including Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for each victim’s family, the campaign urged the administration to look beyond temporary aid and address deeper structural causes. It blamed uncontrolled hill-cutting for infrastructure projects like the Sevoke-Rangpo rail line, unregulated mining from riverbeds such as Mahananda and Balason, and rapid urbanisation and tea plantation expansion for destroying the natural balance of the region.
In its proposals, the group sought strict enforcement of the Environment Protection Act, 1989, a ban on explosives and heavy construction in geologically unstable areas, cancellation of the Sevoke-Rangpo project, and a moratorium on dam construction in the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalayas. It also recommended the installation of rain gauges and early warning systems, declaration of eco-sensitive zones, and participatory local planning for sustainable development.
Calling for ecological restoration and accountability, the memorandum stressed that north Bengal’s environment has reached a critical threshold. “The recent disaster demands not only relief but a just and responsible state action,” it said, adding that the group is prepared to present detailed evidence in support of its appeal.