It’s a mixture of happiness and hope. People living in and around Kurseong are glad that Mother Nature has been so kind this year to send rains that have been lashing the area almost every day.

On the other hand, as the welcome showers drench the area for the past 11 days, people hope that they will certainly help the otherwise parched region meet its water needs, apart from helping farmers too.

According to Nazim Hussain, a local resident of Kurseong town, the rainfall that has been occurring almost every day for more than one week now has brought about happiness among the people.

“We are hoping that it will minimize the scarcity of drinking water in our area,” he said. “The early arrival of the rainfall (much before the monsoon season) may surprise people or create inconveniences for some as they go about their daily life, but I am surely happy for the entire town that has been reeling under an acute water shortage for the past several years now,” Mr Hussain added.

Another resident of Kurseong, Prashant Rai, said the rainfall that has been occurring in and around Kurseong region will certainly help top-up the natural water sources in the region.

“But this is not going to solve our water problems permanently,” he lamented, adding that they do have to face water problems even during the monsoon season.

Another resident, Bhusan Chettri, said almost all the drains are clogged in their area, and that the Kurseong municipality is yet to clear the same completely.

“In this situation, the current spell of rainfall has played an important role as all the garbage that has accumulated in the drains will be washed away,” he said.

When asked, the Kurseong municipality water works councillor in-charge, Subash Pradhan, said the present spell of rains has brought in some kind of a relief to people in the town, as all the water catchments had almost dried up.

“This spell of rainfall will ensure that the water sources do not dry up completely,” he said. Regarding the supply of drinking water, he said that the present rate of rainfall will not solve the scarcity of drinking water, completely.

But it will definitely help the natural- water-sources from dry up. It was learnt that due to a cyclone, the rainfall is occurring in the Darjeeling hill region and other places in the country, these days.