Unplanned construction, climate fury wreck Darjeeling

Kolkata: Unregulated and unplanned construction, coupled with deforestation and extreme weather impact of global climate change, worked as a deadly combination triggering widespread devastation across Darjeeling, mainly Mirik, and neighbouring districts of Kalimpong, Kurseong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri.

The rampant expansion of concrete buildings, the flourishing homestay industry at every nook and corner of the Darjeeling hills from Mirik, the worst-hit in last week's incessant rains, to Kurseong, Kalimpong, Lepchajagat and other unknown villages, though helped the economy and tourism sector of Bengal hills to prosper, have encouraged immense concrete constructions, taking a heavy toll on the hills, with multiple landslides, with more than 30 lives lost.

The local tourism and travel industry prospered due to the sprouting of innumerable homestays. The increasing number of concrete houses for homestays, plastics wastes, entry of tourist footfall in pristine and remote regions impacted nature, experts believe. The situation was "unprecedented" and "never seen before", with over 300 mm of rain recorded in under 12 hours, triggering massive landslides. A complete village in Mirik's Soureni has been devastated with 24 families living in relief camp. Four have died and five severely injured.


CM reaches North Bengal
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee reached North Bengal on Sunday again to review the restoration work. She visited Alipurduar and will be visiting Mirik in Darjeeling over the next few days. She said reconstruction work has started. For every damaged house, the state has sanctioned ₹1.2 lakh each.

"Relief kits were delivered. Work at the Rohini landslide site has begun and will be completed in 5-6 days. The temporary bridge in Mirik will be completed in 7-8 days. Our administrative officials have been working effectively throughout this process," she said. Banerjee visited Hansimara in Alipurduar and conducted a review meeting. On Monday, she will visit Nagrakata and a few other areas nearby. She will visit Mirik and Darjeeling, where she will hold review meetings covering Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. The families of the deceased were given ₹5 lakh each along with the job of a home guard to one of the family members," Banerjee said.

Homestays in the Darjeeling hills have a unique model. The state government had allowed the homestays to promote local tourism. A local can give their two rooms for tourists and thus the local economy can flourish. But the locals have in many cases leased out their land to outsiders, for example, someone staying in Burdwan or Durgapur.

Instead of locals running their own homestays with two rooms in their house, a lot of unregulated constructions have been happening, a senior official, who works in the tourism sector said. These kinds of constructions are everywhere and make an ill impact on hill soil, which is not ready for such constructions. A lot of deforestation has been happening.