Siliguri: Incessant rain in Sikkim and different parts of the Darjeeling hills swelled the Teesta river and triggered landslides at multiple locations on Tuesday.

The swollen Teesta, coupled with a landslide, disrupted traffic on NH10, the principal highway that connects Sikkim and Kalimpong with Siliguri. Traffic also came to a halt on the Peshok Road that connects Darjeeling with Kalimpong.

The traffic, sources said, resumed in the afternoon.

The Teesta started rising on Monday evening because of the rainfall in the upper reaches of Sikkim. The river flooded stretches of NH10 at Rabijhora — a junction near Teesta Bazar, from where the Peshok Road leads to Darjeeling — and 29th Mile.

“As the river was flowing at the same level as the road, vehicles stopped plying. There was also a steady current, which was why no vehicle was allowed to move,” said a source in the Kalimpong district administration.

A flooded locality at Teesta Bazar on Tuesday

From noon onwards, the water receded. However, as a landslide occurred at Tarkhola, an area along NH10 located in Kalimpong district between Teesta Bazar and Rangpo, at 9am, it also disrupted vehicular movement.

“Earthmovers were engaged and the debris was cleared by 4pm,” the source said.

On Monday evening, the administration made public announcements to alert people living along the Teesta river bank in Rangpo, Teesta Bazar, and Melli.

The Teesta, which carried huge volumes of water, flooded some of the unprotected areas in the Kranti and Malbazar blocks of Jalpaiguri district. The swollen river flooded around 500 houses, prompting the administration to shift the residents to safer places.

“A red (secondary) alert has been issued in unprotected areas on both banks of the river from Domohomi to Mekhliganj. The water levels rose as additional water was released from the barrage after rainfall in the upstream. We hope the water level will gradually recede,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, the chief engineer (northeast) of the state irrigation department.

In Sikkim, landslides were reported at many locations in and around Gangtok. The administration engaged men and equipment to clear the debris.

Sources in the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said there had been heavy rainfall across Sikkim in the past 24 hours (till 8.30am on Tuesday). According to them, it rained 123mm in Gangtok, 116mm in Mangan, 120mm in Pakyong and 155mm
in Namthan.

“There is a forecast of very heavy to heavy rain in Sikkim and in the Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts of Bengal during the next 48 hours. People should be on alert as the rainfall can swell rivers and streams and trigger landslides,” said a weather expert.