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MP asks for steps to stop hill disaster
OUR CORRESPONDENT (The Telegraph)

Kalimpong, Sept. 14: Darjeeling MP Dawa Narbula today said the situation in the landslide-hit Kalimpong sub-division is alarming and stressed on the need for a permanent solution to what has now become a regular feature during the monsoon.

Narbula was here today on a short tour of some of the areas damaged by rains. After visiting landslides and cave-ins at Bhalukhop, Dungrabusty and 14th Mile, the Congress MP said the subdivision has been bearing the brunt of nature’s fury year after year.

“I will be writing to the chief minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharya), the central government and the district magistrate providing details of the scale of disaster,” said Narbula, adding that instead of providing relief after every disaster, the government must come up with a permanent solution to the problem.

Narbula also criticised the state government for providing meagre relief to the affected families. “For every house damaged fully, they give Rs 4,000 and Rs 2,000 for every house damaged partially. The families of the dead are only given Rs 40,000. That’s pittance,” he said.

The MP said when he had last approached the Union government regarding relief for calamity victims, he was told that it was primarily a state matter. However, he said, the Centre does provide crores of rupees through the National Calamity Fund.



Highway repair left in limbo
- NHAI and PWD locked in dispute over road maintenance ANURADHA SHARMA

Siliguri, Sept. 13: Sujan Sarkar knows every pothole on the 15km stretch of NH 31 between Sevoke and Siliguri.

Last week, Sarkar covered the distance on his ambulance, driving a woman with a broken leg to Siliguri.

“I had to stop the vehicle several times and the middle-aged patient was crying out in pain each time we went over a pothole,” said Sujan, wincing as he remembered the experience.

Sarkar is not the only one with bad memories of back-breaking rides on NH 31 and NH 31C, the two national highways criss-crossing though the plains of north Bengal. They remember the slow, tortuous journeys with the cars travelling at 10km-15km per hour instead of the ideal speed of 40km per hour.

The bad news for all of them is that there appears little chance of things improving soon. At least not with the public works department (PWD), which maintains most of the highways in the region, and the National Highways Authority (NHAI), which sanctions funds for the repairs, locked in a major dispute.

Pankaj Mishra, manager (technical) of NHAI, claims that the national highways would become “smooth” once the monsoon comes to an end.

“On the basis of emergency estimates made by the PWD, we have approved Rs 2 crore for maintenance of the two roads and the repair of a bridge on the Kalwa river (the bridge is part of NH 31C),” he said. “The money will arrive any time (it comes from the Centre through the NHAI) and we have asked the PWD (National Highway) to begin work, but the start has been delayed by the rains.”

But M. Alam, superintending engineer, Divisions 9 and 10 of PWD-NH, told The Telegraph that the funds approved by the NHAI are not enough.

“We had submitted an estimate of Rs 2.7 crore for repairs on the stretches covered by our divisions,” Alam said. “But they are refusing to approve our estimates and have agreed on only Rs 1 crore, with which repair is impossible.”

Until, the dispute is sorted out, people like Sujit Kumar Sarkar, a banker in Siliguri, can keep their brand new vehicles in the garage. Sujit, for example, has stopped driving his new SUV altogether.

“I just can’t risk it, the roads are so bad,” he said. “It is common for roads to be in disrepair during the rains, but this time is the worst I have seen in the last five-six years.”



NH-31A reopens
Statesman News Service

GANGTOK, Sept. 12: The NH-31A that connects Siliguri to Gangtok was reopened last night after the highway was cleared of debris. The road was blocked following recent landslides at 19th Mile in Kalimpong sub-division. "We succeeded in reopening the highway around 10.30 p.m. last night," said Mr AK Singh, a senior Border Road Organisation Official. "Ten labourers and two bulldozers were used to clear the highway of debris," Mr Singh, added.

However, the condition of the NH-31A at Tarkhola is still pathetic. It may take few more days to fully repair the road, officials, said. n SNS


Power share block to study
RAJEEV RAVIDAS (The Telegraph)

Kalimpong, Sept. 13: The division of power between the district administration and the DGHC has come in the way of preparing a comprehensive assessment report on damage caused by rains in Kalimpong.

District officials claimed that they could do little other than report the loss of lives and property as most of the departments are under the council, which has been under a caretaker administrator for three years.

Not only that, the official compensation offered for loss of life and property is meagre. In case of a fully damaged house, the relief amount is Rs 4,000, while for a partially damaged one, it is Rs 2,000. Till September 8, 123 houses were completely damaged in the entire subdivision and another 171 suffered partial damage. “The compensation offered for loss of life is Rs 40,000,” said an official from the SDO’s office.

The damage is not limited to human lives and dwellings: roads have also been severely hit. “Since we have no say on roads maintained by the state PWD, DGHC and BRO, how can we prepare a comprehensive report on the damage where so many agencies are involved,” said the official.

The BRO, which maintains both NH 31A and Damding-Algarah-Reshi Road, said the damage from rains this year has amounted to crores of rupees. “But a comprehensive survey is needed before arriving at a figure,” said a BRO official.

Local GNLF MLA Gaulan Lepcha said a disaster management programme must be put in place first. Stating that the DGHC should ideally coordinate the programme, Lepcha admitted that nothing substantial could be done since the council has been lying defunct. “However, Dawa Pakhrin, (the GNLF’s Kalimpong unit president) has gone to discuss the issue with administrator Subash Ghisingh.”



Nature’s fury continues unabated
- Slides & cave-ins ravage hills RAJEEV RAVIDAS (The Telegraph)


There were some of the sights that greeted the team comprising four concerned residents of Kalimpong who toured the subdivision on Tuesday. The Telegraph was a party to the recce, which was organised by Kalimpong Consumers’ Association (KCA).

The team felt that the damages caused by a succession of landslides in Kalimpong this year is greater than the devastation wreaked by the rain in 1968.

“The rain-induced devastation of 1968 got magnified manifold after the overflowing waters of the Teesta swept away the bridge over it (at Teesta Bazar, 16km from Kalimpong town). However, by the looks of it, the spread of damage is much greater this time,” said Bharat Mani Pradhan, the Rotary Club representative in the team.

The damages were there for everyone to see. Between Chitrey and 27th Mile, a distance of about 10km, as many as five big slides have occurred during the course of this monsoon.
The situation is no better on Reshi Road, which connects the Kalimpong town with Algarah to the north-east. At 14th Mile, about 25m of the road has sunk. At 11th Mile, which is within the municipality area, a long crack has developed right at the centre of the road.
The Deolo-Dalapchand Road, which runs parallel to Reshi Road, but on a higher gradient, is also sinking at many places. Villagers residing on the hill slope between the two roads are threatened. Tirpai-Homes Road has also developed cracks, putting in danger the residents of Saipatrigoan near Tirpai. The area has about 150 houses.

“We have been spending our nights at the market complex in Topkhana because the hill on which our houses are built has become very unstable. Apart from plastic sheets and rice, the administration has provided us with very little relief,” said Raju Chettri, an affected resident.

Given the gravity of the situation, the KCA has decided to send SOS to all officials. “We are through with our report on what we believe is an alarming situation and will be posting them to all authorities concerned within the next couple of days,” said Praful Rao, the association’s secretary.

The report, among other things, suggests carrying out a detailed study on the drainage system in both the urban and rural areas of the subdivision, besides broadening of the existing drains and ensuring their proper maintenance. It also recommends clearing the jhoras or local streams.

“We also suggest that the practice of planting bamboo plants to bind the soil must be done away with immediately since they don’t seem to hold the soil together. On the contrary, what was noticed is that the heavy weight of the tall grass causes the soil to slip,” said Wangchuck Basi, another member of the team.

The fourth member of the team was KCA president N.P. Dixit.



40 people can use red lights
Our Legal Correspondent (The Telegraph)

KOLKATA, Sept.10: advocate-general, Mr Balai Ray today submitted in Calcutta High Court a state government notification containing a list of 40 dignitaries who will be permitted to use red light on their vehicles.

The Division Bench of the Chief Justice, Mr S.S.Nijjar and Mr Justice Pinaki  Chandra Ghose approved the list but asked the Government to take stringent measures to prevent the use of red light by criminals.

The list of dignitaries has two parts. The first part mentions the dignitaries who are permitted to use red light with flasher on the top front of their vehicles.

These dignitaries, numbering 13, include Governors, chief ministers, chief justices and puisne  judges of High Courts, Speaker of the Assembly, cabinet ministers of the States, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, advocates-general of this and other States.

The second part of the list mentions 27 dignitaries who will be permitted to use red lights without the flasher on the top of their vehicles. These dignitaries include the chief secretaries of states, principal secretaries and secretaries of the government departments of this State, DMs and SPs  within their districts, the mayors of Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Siliguri within their areas, vice-chancellors of all the recognised universities in this State and sabhadhipaties of zilla parishads of this State within their areas.

The Government notification says it shall come into immediate effect.

Some time ago Mr Idris Ali and Mrs Sreemoyee Mitra  had filed a writ petition on behalf of Khondakar Moazzem Hussain alleging the misuse of red light by many car owners and criminals. The advocate-general appeared with Mr NI Khan.



The Hindu

Landslide claims eight lives in Darjeeling Hills

Siliguri, Sept. 7 (PTI): A series of landslides claimed eight lives and destroyed 44 houses and damaged 80 dwelling units in different areas of Darjeeling district as the army was called to rescue flood-hit families in Kalimpong.

District Magistrate of Darjeeling Rajesh Pandey said the landslides triggered by incessant rains claimed five lives in three villages in Kalimpong sub-division of Darjeeling district this morning.

While Kamal Tiruah (45) and his daughter Sita (18) died at Bhalukopa, two others at Mangal bastee and another at Kukhleinkhani. A woman Monmaya Tamang (40) and her son Sujan (11) were killed in a landslide at St Mary's in Kurseong sub-division today.

A school chowkider Sekh Mohammad Daud (57) was buried under a huge rock after he shifted a large number school children to safer place yesterday in Darjeeling. The wife of the deceased Begum Saiful Khatun and another woman Sita Gurung were also injured in the landslide.

About 44 houses were destroyed and 80 damaged in landslides in different other areas of Kalimpong sub-division, he said.

Meanwhile, the army was called to mount rescue and relief operations in Kalimpong sub-division as the river Lees washed away 60 per cent of its embankment near Bagrakote while changing its course, he said.



The Economic Times

CPI-M severs relation with PDF in Darjeeling hills
3 Sep, 2007, 2140 hrs IST, PTI


SILIGURI: CPI-M has severed its relation with Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), the only opposition to the ruling Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

CPI-M Darjeeling district secretary S P Lepcha told reporters here today that the party had been a partner of PDF to fight the 'misrule' of GNLF and work for development in the Darjeeling hills based on common agenda.

''Now unfortunately PDF convenor and chairman of All India Gorkha League Madan Tamang had voiced his support for a separate Gorkhaland, which CPI-M did not agree to in principle,'' he said adding the demand for Gorkhaland compelled CPI-M to withdraw.

The CPI-M has a strong base in the hills and would hold its Darjeeling district conference in November, he added.



Sikkim, Kalimpong delinked
Statesman News Service

SILIGURI, Sept. 9: Friday's landslides on National Highway 31A have left Sikkim and Kalimpong literally cut off from the rest of the country.

About 11 km stretch of the highway, between Rangpo and Tarkhola, is in a very poor condition following landslides at over 18 locations.

Mr Puran Subba, the inspector-in-charge of Kalimpong police station, said around 200 feet of the national highway has entirely slid away at Tumlang, 7 km off Rangpo towards Siliguri. The same condition prevails between 29 Mile and Rambhi and at Tarkhola.

Although the General Reserve Engineering Force personnel of the Border Road Organisation have initiated the restoration work, official sources said the highway could only become operational by Thursday.

However, if rains do not stop, the restoration would delay.
At Tumlnag, Tarkhloa and near 29 Mile, where the NH-31A has literally vanished, the GREF personnel are trying to make fresh "jeepable" way by cutting the hill slopes.

With the NH-31A closed for the time-being, traffic originating from Sikkim are plying along the Monsong-Kalimpong-Darjeeling-Siliguri route. Kalimpong too is connected to Siliguri via Darjeeling.

Meanwhile, NH-55 connecting Siliguri to Darjeeling has become operational once again. The toy train service, however, is yet to be restored.



Up to the hills on a faster train
ANURADHA SHARMA (The Telegraph)

Siliguri, Sept. 9: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) plans to run a train that will be faster by more than two hours.

The hill Shatabdi, as the railway officials would love to call it, will have just one stop along the route to Darjeeling and is expected to return to New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station on the same day.

“Our archives in Kurseong show that the British actually ran a steam engine from NJP to Darjeeling (about 80km) in five hours and fifteen minutes,” Rajesh Agarwal, executive director (heritage), ministry of railways, said. “The train used to start from NJP at 6.30am and reached Darjeeling by 11.30am.”

At present the journey takes around eight hours.

Agarwal believes that if the British could do it with a steam engine more than 100 years ago, it should not be a problem doing it with a diesel engine now.

“The new service will be made available on Himalayan Princess, a diesel train between NJP and Kurseong. Launched on August 23 this year, the train takes four hours to reach Kurseong now,” Agarwal said. “At present experiments are being carried out to increase the speed of the train. Once we achieve the desired speed, we will extend the train up to Darjeeling. We will aim at covering the distance in a little more than five hours. In any case it should not take more than six hours.”

But, it will take some time before the plans are translated into reality, said Subrata Nath, the director of DHR. “After we are able to technically bring down the time, we will discuss the issue with the district administration. Their permission would be required to run a high-speed train on tracks, which run along a national highway.”