Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju travelled to the landslide-ravaged Mirik area in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district on Tuesday. The purpose of his visit was to evaluate the extent of the damage and review the ongoing relief and rescue operations following the recent torrential rains.

The Minister’s visit to North Bengal, an area hit severely by landslides that have claimed at least 36 lives, highlights the Central Government’s dedication to providing assistance to the region during this crisis.

On-Site Assessment and Call for Joint Effort

Union Minister Rijiju, after touring the impacted sites, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “The situation is bad and many lives have been lost. Providing immediate relief is the priority right now,” he stated. “We are here to take a stock of the situation. A lot of damage has happened, and many people have lost their lives in floods and landslides. We are doing the assessment. The state and central government will have to make joint efforts.”

Mr. Rijiju confirmed he was in North Bengal on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stressed the need to support the families who have suffered losses. “It is a priority to provide help and assistance to the families who have lost their loved ones and also lost their homes,” he affirmed.

The Minister added that cooperation among various agencies is crucial. “The central government, state governments, local administrations, and teams from NDRF, SSB, and other forces need to work together.” He concluded by stating that following his two-day visit and discussions with affected residents, he will submit a detailed report on the ground situation to the central government.

Death Toll Rises, Relief Operations Progress

The death toll resulting from the heavy rainfall and subsequent landslides across the hills, Terai, and Dooars regions of North Bengal has unfortunately climbed to 36 as of Tuesday morning, according to figures released by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and district administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.

However, rescue and relief operations have seen substantial progress with an improvement in weather conditions since Monday morning. Authorities have successfully relocated several affected residents to safer locations, and efforts have also focused on evacuating tourists from the impacted zones.
Mr. Rijiju was accompanied during his visit by Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista and the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

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