“Those whose houses have been destroyed, we will take care of them,” said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her interaction with local residents. She directed officials to prepare a detailed list of damaged homes and properties.
The chief minister announced that a temporary bridge connecting Mirik to the plains would be rebuilt within 15 days to restore road connectivity that was severed following the disaster. “Initially, officials told me it would take a month to construct the bridge, but after discussions, it was decided that the work must be completed within 15 days,” she stated.
Banerjee further shared that a permanent, high-quality bridge at Doodhiya would also be constructed within a year. “We have decided to start an alternative bridge immediately so that communication is not disrupted. Our engineers are working simultaneously on four to five damaged bridges in Mirik and Nagrakata,” she added.
Amid intermittent drizzle, the chief minister reached Mirik by road, visited families who lost their loved ones in the calamity, and personally handed over compensation cheques. Consoling the bereaved families, Banerjee said, “When life is lost, no effort is enough. A house can be rebuilt, but a life once gone cannot be brought back. We are deeply pained by your loss.”
Officials confirmed that the government has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh in compensation to each family of the deceased. Those whose homes were destroyed are being provided with financial assistance and relief materials, including food, tarpaulins, and blankets.
Banerjee also announced that one member of each bereaved family would be provided a government job as a special home guard within a month.
The chief minister instructed district authorities to set up special camps to help people reissue essential identity and welfare documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, and ration cards that were lost in the disaster. She ordered the supply of schoolbooks and stationery for affected children as well.
“These camps must continue for at least a month, not only in Mirik but in all affected areas,” she emphasized.
Further, Banerjee directed the local administration to keep community kitchens running until displaced families can return home. “No one should go hungry. The kitchens must continue until normalcy is restored,” she said.
During a review meeting, Banerjee expressed gratitude to state engineers and disaster management personnel for working tirelessly to restore connectivity in the hills. She instructed them to expedite the repair of the landslide-affected Rohini road, a key route linking the Darjeeling hills with the plains.
The chief minister revealed that bodies of some victims from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan had also been recovered during rescue operations. “We have asked the chief secretary and the DGP to identify them properly and hand them over to their respective governments with full respect,” she stated.
Banerjee assured that farmers who suffered crop losses due to flash floods and landslides would receive compensation under the state’s crop insurance scheme.
She also explained the worsening flood situation in north Bengal was due to heavy rainfall in neighbouring Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. “Geographically, Bengal is shaped like a boat. When it rains in the upper regions, water naturally flows down to our side,” she said, adding that the state’s relief agencies had been working relentlessly to cope with the disaster’s impact.
Banerjee held a virtual meeting with officials from affected districts on Sunday, reached Siliguri on Monday afternoon, and then travelled to Nagrakata before proceeding to Mirik on Tuesday. She was accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and senior officials from the Disaster Management Department during her visit.
At least 30 people were killed and several others injured in a series of landslides and flash floods triggered by torrential rains across north Bengal. The calamity disrupted road and rail communication and stranded hundreds of tourists.
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