Mamata Banerjee Plans Return Visit to Landslide-Hit Darjeeling Next Week

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced plans to return to landslide-ravaged Darjeeling next week to personally oversee ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts, underscoring her hands-on approach to tackling one of the region’s worst natural disasters in recent memory. The announcement came as she returned to Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon after an emotional visit to North Bengal, where she met 21 displaced families and rolled out emergency measures to support communities battered by last week’s catastrophic landslides and flash floods that killed at least 32 people, left several missing, and stranded thousands.

Speaking to reporters at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Banerjee detailed the state’s rapid response. “We’ve sent 500 relief kits with blankets, rice, dal, dry food, and milk to families in Mirik,” she said, emphasizing that those choosing to remain in the affected areas are receiving sustained care. Her administration facilitated the safe evacuation of 1,000 stranded tourists, transported back in 45 buses, and is working to repatriate the bodies of two victims from Nepal and Bhutan, with photographs already dispatched to their families for identification. The disaster, triggered by relentless rains, has left entire villages cut off, with roads and bridges washed away in Darjeeling’s hilly terrain.

Banerjee outlined ambitious infrastructure repairs to restore connectivity. In the hard-hit Rohini region, two new roads are under construction, while a damaged bridge in Nagrakata is being repaired. In Mirik, a temporary bridge is being fast-tracked for completion within 15 days, with plans for a permanent concrete structure to follow. “I’ve instructed officials to ensure the temporary bridge is ready swiftly,” she said, highlighting the urgency of restoring access for relief operations and local residents. To bolster the response, ten senior officials have been deployed to the hills, joined by key ministers like Pradip Majumdar and Goutam Deb, who are supervising operations on the ground.

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The Chief Minister also committed to fulfilling job promises made to the families of the deceased within the next 15 days, a move aimed at providing long-term support to those who lost breadwinners. “Rehabilitation work has already begun in the worst-affected areas,” Banerjee said, signaling a multi-pronged approach that combines immediate aid with sustainable recovery. Her return visit next week will focus on ensuring these efforts stay on track, as thousands of displaced residents grapple with destroyed homes and livelihoods.

Banerjee didn’t shy away from addressing systemic issues exposed by the crisis, particularly the exorbitant airfare hikes for those fleeing the disaster zone. She slammed airlines for charging Rs 18,000 for direct flights from Bagdogra to Kolkata and up to Rs 45,000 for routes via New Delhi, calling it “discrimination” against Bengal’s people. Drawing a sharp contrast, she pointed to the upcoming Chhath Puja in Bihar, where airfares have been capped to accommodate festival travel amid looming assembly elections. “Why this step-motherly treatment towards Bengal?” she demanded, accusing airlines of exploiting a humanitarian crisis for profit and vowing to raise the issue with central authorities.

The Darjeeling tragedy has sparked broader questions about disaster preparedness in India’s vulnerable hill regions, where climate change is intensifying extreme weather events. With thousands still displaced and entire communities reeling, Banerjee’s proactive stance—marked by her second visit in as many weeks—aims to restore hope. As relief efforts ramp up, the state government faces the daunting task of rebuilding not just infrastructure but the lives of those shattered by nature’s fury. Will Mamata’s hands-on leadership turn the tide for Darjeeling’s recovery? The region holds its breath.

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