Incessant rain has disrupted normal life across several parts of north Bengal and Sikkim, triggering waterlogging, landslides, overflowing streams and damaging to roads and bridges.
The continuous rain since Saturday evening washed away a Bailey bridge over the Phee Khla stream at Phidang in north Sikkim's Mangan district on Sunday. The collapse snapped road connectivity between Phidang and Sankalang.
Officials of the district administration visited the site and directed the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) to restore connectivity at the earliest.
Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, Sikkim's minister for forest and environment, science and technology and mines and geology, said on social media that several areas in Dzongu had been damaged since Saturday night.
"The officials concerned are directed to take immediate measures for the damages caused by heavy rain," the minister posted.
Apart from the Mangan-Gangtok route, several other roads across Sikkim were either blocked or opened only for light vehicles.
A source in the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Mangan recorded 147mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.
"Heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely to affect Mangan, Namchi, Pakyong, Soreng, Gangtok and Gyalshing districts till June 30," an IMD official said while issuing a special weather alert.
Scattered heavy rainfall across the Dooars also led to waterlogging on Sunday.
Several areas in Banarhat, Jalpaiguri district, were inundated after the Hatinala stream overflowed following heavy rain in Bhutan.
"Turbid water entered homes in Banarhat Station Road and other parts of the town around 3am after the Hatinala overflowed following 100mm of rainfall in Tendru, Bhutan, and around 203mm of rainfall in Banarhat. Although the water receded by Sunday morning, it remained stagnant inside many houses," a district administration source said.
The state irrigation department has issued a yellow alert for protected and unprotected stretches along the Jaldhaka river from NH31 to Mathabhanga in Jalpaiguri district. A similar alert has been sounded for unprotected areas along the Teesta River from Domohani in Jalpaiguri to Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar.
According to the irrigation department, rainfall recorded during the past 24 hours includes 177 mm in Alipurduar, 165 mm in Malbazar, 160 mm in Hasimara, 129mm in Siliguri, 85mm in Tufanganj, 69mm in Maynaguri and 46mm in Jalpaiguri.
Krishnendu Bhowmik, chief engineer of the irrigation department's northeast division, said water levels were rising in the Diana, Jaldhaka, Murti, Neora, Reti and Sukriti rivers.
"We are closely monitoring the water levels of the rivers. All department personnel remain on alert," he added.
Heavy downpour also caused waterlogging in Siliguri and adjoining areas. Anandamay Barman, the state minister for transport and finance, visited the flooded localities of Nirmal Nagar and Rabindrapally near Khaprail More in Matigara on Sunday.
"A cave-in occurred at the approach to a bridge over the Panchanoi river on NH110, which connects Siliguri and Darjeeling. However, road connectivity has not been affected. Traffic movement was temporarily disrupted on the Mirik-Dudhia alternative route near Ghayabari after boulders rolled onto the road in the morning. The route was cleared and traffic resumed later in the afternoon," a district administration source said.
Water levels of the Torsha, Kaljani, Basra, Sankosh and Raidak rivers also rose.
"Rain has caused waterlogging in wards 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 18 of Alipurduar municipality. Several wards under Falakata municipality have also been inundated," an official source said.
The swollen Bangri, Titi and Howri rivers snapped road connectivity between Madarihat and Totopara in the district. Rising waters of the Torsha inundated Khokla Busti, Jharna Busti and Mechia Busti in Jaigaon, while a diversion over the Goborjyoti river was washed away.
The IMD has forecast that adverse weather conditions will continue across the region for at least the next 48 hours.
"Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are very likely across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts. Heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated falls of up to 20 cm, is expected at many places till June 30," an IMD official said.