Howrah (West Bengal) [India], October 6 : West Bengal BJP President Shamik Bhattacharya slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her government's response to the recent Darjeeling landslide.
Bhattacharya criticised Banerjee for attending the Durga Puja carnival amidst the crisis, stating that she should have been with the people of North Bengal during this difficult time instead.
Bhattacharya accused Banerjee of lacking sensitivity and prioritising festivities over governance during a natural disaster. He described the state government as incompetent, claiming that it learned nothing from the Amphan cyclone and lacks an effective disaster management team.
"This is not a time for celebration; the Chief Minister should have left the carnival today and stood with the people of North Bengal, but if anyone expects a humane approach from this government, they are foolish. The BJP has no expectations from this government; the public also knows that this is an incompetent government. This government learned nothing from Amphan (cyclone); there is no role for the disaster management team," Bhattacharya said on Sunday.
Heavy rainfall in Darjeeling and its surrounding areas triggered landslides, resulting in the collapse of a bridge, seven fatalities, two missing persons, and the closure of multiple roads.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted flood and water rescue operations in flood-affected areas on Sunday and evacuated over 160 people following heavy rains that triggered landslides in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas in West Bengal.
According to the rescue team, a total of 105 people were evacuated by boats, while another 55 were rescued via zip lines in Jalpaiguri. The team also recovered one deceased individual during the operations.
Cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal on May 20, 2020, affecting over 10 million people in the eastern Indian state. The storm caused massive damage to standing crops, thousands of trees were uprooted, and the power and water supply were interrupted in the state capital, Kolkata. Many in the state have lost their entire homes as well.
Bhattacharya mentioned that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in North Bengal, and the Home Minister and Prime Minister are receiving regular updates on the situation.
"NDRF is deployed in North Bengal; the Home Minister and Prime Minister are receiving updates every moment... The sensitivity expected from the state Chief Minister during such a natural disaster is absent in her," added West Bengal BJP President.
Continuous heavy rainfall since Saturday night has caused widespread damage in parts of the Darjeeling district, particularly in Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari areas, where roads and houses have been washed away. The landslides have also disrupted connectivity on several routes, including key rural link roads, hampering access to relief operations.