Landslide danger in Darjeeling and Kalimpong as heavy rain batters West Bengal

Heavy rain has been lashing several regions of West Bengal for the past two days, accompanied by a seven-day warning of severe weather conditions, including lightning strikes and the risk of landslides in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hill districts. At least eight railway workers were injured when a section of the ancient Darjeeling railway station locoshed, situated near the busy Hill Cart Road, collapsed on Wednesday due to the relentless rainfall and strong winds. The rubble from the landslide caused a partial blockage to traffic on the adjacent road.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Darjeeling town received 37 mm of rainfall within 24 hours up to 8:30 am on Wednesday, while Kalimpong recorded a higher 70 mm. The IMD predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall (70-20 mm) in Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong throughout Thursday morning, with Darjeeling, Malda, Alipurduar, and South Dinajpur districts expecting heavy rainfall (70-110 mm). The intense rainfall will then move towards Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and neighboring areas from September 4.

Similar heavy rain is forecast for south Bengal, with Birbhum district experiencing extreme rainfall, with Sriniketan recording the highest 24-hour rainfall in the state at 263 mm, resulting in widespread waterlogging in areas including Santiniketan, home to the Visva-Bharati university. Burnpur in Paschim Bardhaman and Kolkata's Alipore station also recorded significant amounts of rainfall - 210 mm and 127 mm, respectively, with neighboring Barrackpore and Asansol also registering high levels of precipitation at 210 mm and 110 mm, respectively.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata stated that although the low-pressure area has shifted away from Gangetic West Bengal and coastal Odisha to northeast Madhya Pradesh, an associated cyclonic circulation is still funneling heavy moisture into the region. Dr HR Biswas, a scientist at the RMC, explained that despite the low-pressure system moving away, the cyclonic circulation and a monsoon trough stretching through Digha continue to deliver heavy rainfall to the area.

Meteorologists have advised residents to take cover during thunderstorms, avoid trees, power lines, and open water bodies, and exercise caution as traffic conditions may be affected due to the weather hazards.