A hume pipe, the only part of the bridge that remained after the structure was washed away, lies on the banks of the Tasati river. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, July 19: Around 2,000 people staying in the labour quarters of a tea estate in Falakata have been cut off from the main garden after a bridge on the Tasati was washed by the swollen river last night.

A red alert has been issued in the areas close to the Mujnai river and a yellow alert has been sounded for the Torsha, both in Falakata block.

Around 600 workers of Tasati Tea Estate could not join work thsi morning as the 40-feet-long concrete bridge, the only link between the labour quarters and the main garden, gave way.

The garden in Falakata block is 50km from here.

“Last night the bridge was washed away by the river and almost 2,000 people of Mission Line, Damu Line, Hatkhola Line and Bali Line are detached from the main garden. We had constructed the bridge in 2003 at a cost of Rs 4 lakh,” said J.P. Sharma, the general manager of the garden that has 1,200 workers.

He alleged that the block administration had assured them almost two years ago that the bridge would be repaired. But nothing has been done.

Sharma said water from the Birkiti river has entered the plantation and damaged bushes on almost 3 hectare.

“The garden has received more than 15inches (almost 378 mm) rain in the past 24 hours. We have not been able to spray pesticides on the bushes for the past 5 days as it would get washed away by the rain. This would affect production. The total loss is not less than Rs 12 lakh. We are already facing funds crisis and the cost of repairing the bridge is an extra burden on us,” he said.

Block officials said the water level in all rivers flowing through Falakata has started rising from today after heavy showers in the Bhutan Hills last night.

According to the Met office in Jalpaiguri, Falakata has received 228.05mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Birkiti, Dudua, Bala, Torsha, Kali and Tatashi flow through the block.

Deogaon in Falakata was flooded after water from the swollen Mujnai river entered the area and more than 90 families are stranded since this morning.

Sushanto Mandal, the block development officer of Falakata, along with the disaster management team and BSF personnel visited the affected areas today and some people have been to shifted to a nearby primary school building.

“I went with the National Disaster Response Force and we have shifted a number of families. They are staying in a primary school building in the area. Personnel of the disaster management force will stay in Alipurduar now. If it rains again tonight, the situation might become very critical tomorrow,” Mandal said.

Block officials said the Mujnai is flowing above the danger level and a red alert has been issued for the nearby areas. An alert has also been issued for the Torsha.

“We had sent a proposal to the zilla parishad to repair the bridge in Tasati tea garden. But funds have not been allotted yet,” said the BDO.