West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sought compensations and further financial support at the Centre to reconstruct flood-affected North Bengal on charges that both Bhutan and the Centre have failed to address the crisis that has killed at least 32 people and displaced thousands of others.

The rolling tea gardens of North Bengal normally a vision of serenity with mist swirling over green slopes now speak of desperation today. Flash floods have devastated this peaceful landscape within days, leaving it a vision of ruin behind them, with shattered bushes, flooded roads, and thousands of nervous workers speculating what the morning would bring.

Queen of hill stations, Darjeeling is in the news for the wrong reasons. It has been pushed to the edge of a precipice owing to unsustainable development, climate change and lack of institutional will to remedy matters.

The gentle roar of Dooars’ rivers, the voice of life just a few years back, is a wail of despair today. As incessant heavy monsoon rains keep battering north Bengal foothills, the likes of Jaldhaka, Murti, and Torsa rivers have burst their banks, engulfing vast expanses of forest and tea plantations — and forcing wildlife to moan for safety.

The landslides in Darjeeling have led to a heartbreaking toll of 28 lives lost, with six people still unaccounted for. Rescue efforts are actively underway, with teams diligently working to assist isolated villages and those impacted by the disaster. This catastrophe has ignited a fierce political debate between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Deep into the heart of North Kolkata lies Kumartuli, the hub of clay image makers of goddess Durga and her entourage. It is that time of the year for the Kumartuli artisans whose clay-smeared hands are at work day and night.