Kalimpong, July 09 (Siliguri Chronicle) – The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the Kalimpong district administration have decided to carry out a fresh survey of areas affected by the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on the Teesta River that struck on October 4, 2023.
A 14-member committee has been formed to conduct the resurvey. The team will visit Teesta Bazar and nearby villages to assess the number of people affected and review the current situation in the flood-hit zones.
“The resurvey started yesterday (on Monday). During the resurvey, the district administration’s technical team and representatives of the GTA and rural bodies will visit the affected areas over the next couple of months. After that, a final report will be prepared to determine the compensation for the total number of people,” Hemant Rai, a GTA Sabha member of Reli-Samthar, said on Tuesday.
In 2024, a team of insurance surveyors and loss assessors reported that properties worth ₹12.5 crore were damaged in five villages of Bengal due to the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The affected villages include Gafur Busty, Nazok forest hamlet, Gel Khola, Deogram, and Teesta Bazar.
“A total of 104 huts/buildings were damaged and the valuation of the damaged properties stands at ₹12,53,73,660,” a source had earlier said.
Sources said many residents had disagreed with the earlier assessment by insurance surveyors, claiming that several affected families were left out. Their demand for a fresh survey has now been met, with the resurvey process officially underway.
“We welcome the decision taken by the district administration and the GTA to conduct the resurvey. Hopefully, this time, all affected families will be identified,” said Kishor Pradhan, a GLOF victim and advisor to Teesta Sanrakshan Mancha, based in Teesta Bazar.
According to an official from the Kalimpong 1 block administration, the resurvey team will visit flood-hit areas twice a week — on Mondays and Thursdays. The survey is expected to take at least two months to complete. The team will cover Gailkhola, Najok Busty, Teesta Bazar, Krishnanagar, Deogram, and nearby localities.
“The team members conducted their first visit to Gafur Busty, located near Teesta Bazar, on Monday afternoon. We hope they will complete the task within the next couple of months,” Bishal Rai, the coordinator of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM)’s Teesta Bazar area, said.
The BGPM currently leads the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
During the night of October 3–4, 2023, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) triggered by the breach of South Lonark Lake in Sikkim caused widespread devastation. The deluge wiped out the Sikkim Urja Teesta Stage 3 hydropower project—India’s second-largest dam—constructed at a cost of ₹13,965 crore.
The disaster destroyed 33 bridges, damaged nearly 3,600 homes and 920 shops, and affected around 88,000 people across Sikkim.
In Bengal’s Kalimpong district, the GLOF left a trail of destruction, fully demolishing 483 houses and partially damaging another 76.
