The situation is dire, with two iron bridges collapsed, several roads damaged and flooded, and huge tracts of land inundated in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar.
The nightmare of travelling on national highway 10 (NH-10), the only arterial road linking Sikkim and Kalimpong with Siliguri, continues to haunt commuters.
A wet Thursday morning set the tone for what promises to be a rain-drenched next few days, with the regional Met office forecasting continued showers, gusty winds and potential disruptions across both south and north Bengal.
Inspired by India’s first Digital Nomad Village, recently launched in Sikkim’s Yakten, stakeholders in north Bengal’s tourism industry have begun exploring similar possibilities across the region.
Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) visited Kalimpong on Friday to pay his respects to the late Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
The plan for dwellings alongside the hillslopes must of necessity be vetted more carefully than has been manifest.
"The civic body has readied four pumps to drain out water in case of requirement. We have alerted the borough officers and asked them to keep monitoring the situation. The control room has been activated and we are monitoring the entire situation"
"A total of 328 homestay owners, out of the 337, in Kalimpong district have qualified for the second installment, with which they will improve their existing homestays," the Kalimpong DM said, adding, "A team has conducted a survey on homestays and screened them for the second installment."
According to Mr Poddar, despite the Covid pandemic, tourists from different parts of Bengal are visiting the Hills, and that all his rooms are booked for the Pujas. Mr Poddar also pointed out to the bad condition of roads, which he said had reduced the flow of tourists in the area.
Dr Roy said the plan could be taken up in around three wards with a target of 500 vaccinations, including 100 for mothers of children up to age 12 years, daily.
