The Torsha river, which changed its course during the devastating floods of October last year, has continued to erode large portions of Subhasini tea garden in Kalchini block of Alipurduar.

The garden is staring at a severe financial crisis, leaving both its management and its 1,257 workers uneasy.

The swelling river now threatens the Nadi Line and Gudam Line labour settlements. Even the tea factory remains vulnerable to erosion, local sources said.

Following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, 35 families from the Nadi Line were evacuated and shifted to a nearby primary school as a precaution.

The management approached the minister and local MLA, Bishal Lama, who assured them of speedy action.

Workers expressed growing frustration over the delay in repairing the embankment along the Torsha. Last week, women workers planned to block NH31C to demand immediate riverbank protection work. The management persuaded them not to proceed, fearing possible police action.

According to estate sources, the flood on the night of October 4 and 5 last year inundated large parts of the garden after the Torsha gushed into the estate by altering its course. Around 92 hectares of plantation area, mostly comprising young tea bushes, sank. Since then, another 30 acres have been washed away.

Then chief minister Mamata Banerjee had visited the garden after the floods last year, but estate authorities alleged no effective protection measures were implemented.

Bridge washed away

Heavy rainfall on Saturday night washed away the wooden bridge at Holong, disrupting connectivity between forest offices and Madarihat town in Alipurduar district.

State forest minister Manoj Oraon said: “I received information about the damage. I asked officials to speed up the construction of a permanent concrete bridge.”