The Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) today launched a joint operation to search for people missing in the swollen Teesta river. Two navy men, who arrived here yesterday from Visakhapatnam, along with NDRF personnel, scanned some portions of the river in a boat to assess the “ground.”

The NDRF is conducting the operation after an SUV carrying three tourists from Rajasthan and a Siliguri-based driver plunged into the raging Teesta at Sevoke, around 25 km from Siliguri, when the vehicle veered off the road during heavy rains on 10 July. The body of one tourist, identified as Aman Garg, was found in the Teesta Barrage canal at Gazoldoba near Siliguri in Jalpaiguri district on 12 July. It is believed that he was swept away by the strong river current.

Sources said that the navy has informed the district administration that it was important that the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) held back the river water to carry out the search operation better.

“Proper search operation cannot be conducted because of the strong current in the river. The navy will decide whether more equipment and personnel will be pressed into service, but for that too, it has become important to hold the water,” a source said.

Joginder Singh Kajla and Parameshwar Kumar of the Navy scaled down the river bank for around 200 feet on ropes. They held discussions with the deputy commandant of the 2nd battalion of the NDRF, Regional Response Centre (RRC), Siliguri, Kumar Ravi, and other officers about their observations.

“We are assessing the situation and we will give our best efforts to trace the missing persons. We will continue the search operation,” Mr Kajla said.

Darjeeling district magistrate Deepap Priya P confirmed that the Navy and the NDRF had launched the joint operation today. Mr Ravi said the NDRF was conducting the operation from Sevoke to the downstream of the Teesta, around a 30-km stretch.

“During the search operation with the Navy today, six deep divers of the NDRF and two boats were pressed into service,” he said. Meanwhile, state tourism minister Gautam Deb visited Sevoke today too.