Darjeeling, May 19 -- The sudden surge in the water level of River Teesta on Saturday night resulted in the panic button being pressed owing to the devastation wrecked by the Teesta flash floods still fresh in the memory. Around 5 families were shifted from low lying vulnerable areas of the river bank.
About 3 persons stranded on a rock were also rescued on Saturday night.
Heavy rainfall in Sikkim resulted in the rise in the water level of the Teesta.
"Around 5 families have been shifted to a community hall near Melli due to the sudden surge in water levels on Saturday night. On Sunday the situation is normal but we are keeping a close watch," stated Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate, Kalimpong.
"For how long will we run? Where will we run? We are spending sleepless nights. We lost everything in the October 2023 flash floods. Whatever little we have is all set to be lost yet again. Where is the promised rehabilitation? Where is the land that was promised to us for rehabilitation," questioned a resident of Melli, a victim of the flash flood.
At around 8 pm on Saturday with the water level rising, people started running helter skelter with whatever belongings they had along
with documents.
"There are many residing in relief camps since the October 4, 2023 flash floods. Monsoons have not even commenced and this is the situation. The district administration and GTA have to look into this seriously," stated another eyewitness. On May 18, Gangtok had recorded 54.4 mm of rain.
Incidentally, both the Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts had faced widespread damages owing to flash floods in the River Teesta triggered by a glacial lake outburst in North Sikkim on October 4, 2023, that had washed away the Teesta III Dam at Chungthang.
In a daring rescue, 3 youths stranded on a rock on the Rongpo Khola, a tributary of the Teesta, were rescued by the Teesta Rangeet Rescue Center at around 11.20 pm on Saturday.
Shanti Rai, River rescuer and guide, while talking to Millennium Post, stated: "The Sikkim Police and Bengal Police informed us that three persons who were fishing, were stranded on a large rock in the Rongpo Khola and could not cross over owing to the surging river. We got news at around 7 pm and rushed to the spot with equipment and rafts.
Rescue was very difficult in the torrential river in darkness. The water had surged owing to the overflow in the dam. Finally after great difficulty we managed to rescue the three at 11.20 pm on Saturday."
The three rescued included Gideon Karkidoli (22) Sahil Rai (24) and Avinah Thapa (24).
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.