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Kolkata, Oct 9 (IANS) Damage to state property in West Bengal’s two hill districts, Darjeeling and Kalimpong, has been provisionally estimated at Rs 10.62 crore amid natural disasters in the hill, Terai and Dooars regions of the state, official data showed on Thursday.
However, this is not the final figure, and the exact figure of damage caused to public property in these two hill districts will be available only after some time.
Damage figures for Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, the two plain districts covering the Terai and Dooars regions, have not yet been calculated, and once done, the total loss of state property in all four districts will be much higher.
According to damage details compiled and provided by the district authorities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong on Thursday, the damage was caused by the destruction or damage of roads, culverts and water tanks.
The blocks in the hills where roads have suffered the most damage include Pedong, Lawa, Gorubathan and Kalimpong. The district administrations of Darjeeling and Kalimpong have also reported that a total of 21 houses have been damaged in the two districts due to heavy rains and landslides, of which 13 have been completely damaged and eight have been partially damaged.
The main road connecting the hills with Siliguri, the major gateway city of North Bengal, is not yet communicable, and hence transport movement continues through two alternative routes of Tindhariya Road and Pankhabari Road.
However, given the remote nature of Pankhabari Road, the pressure on Tindhariya Road is very high.
With the recovery of new bodies during the last 24 hours, the official death toll in the hill, Terai and Dooars regions has risen to 39 as of Thursday morning. Administrative officials fear that the death toll may increase further in the next few days as rescue operations progress in remote areas.
The bodies recovered during the last 24 hours have not yet been identified.
–IANS
Source/VD