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.
It has recently been battered and devastated by heavy rain. The downpour took a toll of human lives and caused massive destruction.
Major landslides scarred Darjeeling since 1899. This was followed by identical natural disasters in 1934, 1950, 1968, 1975, 1980, 1991.and more recentyly in 2011 and 2015.
There were nine cloudbursts in the Teesta valley between 1902 and 1978, according to a report from Centre for Science and Environment. Landslides seem to have a long history in the region but their backdrop have changed over the years
The population density has changed following natural causes and influx from the neighbouring countries. During the last three decades, the land and property buying spree have recorded a sharp rise.
There has been a change in the rainfall pattern which can be attributed to impact of climate change. Time was rainfall that remained really spread over from May to September has become more incessant lasting over a few days instead of some hours.
Rivers and stream (jhoras) have suddenly changed. courses. It generated new paths for hydrological flows and intrusion into human habitation.
Heavy, unsuitable and unsustainable projects have come up in the hills. These include hydro power, railways, hotels and other structures to apparently “develop the region’ but which are actually a load on the limited carrying capacity of the hills.
The river beds and natural corridors have been flooded. This is the fallout of mushrooming of unplanned and unauthorised settlements triggering arterial clogging.
There have been studies and warnings of impending danger. Darjeeling was ranked 35th in the Landslide Atlas of India 2023 published by Indian Space Research Organisation.
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in Sikkim in 2023 had its fallout in this region. Its tail-end destruction affected lower riparian of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts.
It does not take long and hard look to find out that lack of urgency on the part of the Central and state governments in forewarning the hill communities and managing the aftermath of the disasters. There is no professioal agency to tackle the natural disasters.
The local administration institutions like the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and local .municipality and panchayats lack the knowledge and skills to handle natural disasters. They are woefully short on funds, technology and manpower.
The municilalities do not have a simple solid waste management unit. This itself is a major factor causing disaster.
The damages in Darjeeling and Kalimpong post the Sikkim floods
in 2023 remains unattended. River water continues to
crisscross the highways in Teesta bazar blocking the way of people and goods almost every week.
The hill residents need a national institution preferably on climate change studies and disaster management for the entire Himalayan region. It has to be a national interest project in the Look East Policy context.
