Red alert for heavy rainfall issued for 3 districts in north Bengal, water level in rivers to rise further

“It is feared that the water level of rivers like Teesta, Torsa, and Jaldhaka may rise further. Already, several rivers in North Bengal are flowing above the danger level,” said an official.

In the hill districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling, heavy rainfall may trigger more landslides.

The National Highway 10, connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country remained closed on Monday. “Some portions of the roads have been damaged due to torrential rains and repair work is going on… The highway has collapsed at various places along the Teesta,” said an administrative official.

The Met office said the situation was unlikely to change in the next four to five days as it attributed the rain to a cyclonic circulation over west-central Bay of Bengal off south the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

In the remaining parts of the state, light to moderate rain will continue.