WB govt agrees to scientific study of Himalayan region: Darjeeling MP Bista

DARJEELING, :The West Bengal government has accepted Darjeeling MP Raju Bista’s request to constitute an expert committee for a scientific and systematic assessment of vulnerabilities in the Himalayan region of the State, Bista said on Monday.

The move comes in the wake of the recent flash floods in Nepal that killed hundreds of people and left many others missing, raising concerns over similar risks in the eastern Himalayas.

Speaking from Kolkata at the launch of 'Arjun Vahini', West Bengal's new State-level disaster response force, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the government had received Bista's letter and forwarded his request to the chief secretary.

"I know you are concerned about the hills especially due to the recent incident at Nepal. I have sent your request of conducting Himalayan studies to the chief secretary. The Centre and the State will together start the studies and come out with a report soon," Adhikari said.

Bista said the proposed committee would examine critical risks, including glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), cloudbursts, landslide susceptibility, river-system behaviour and urban drainage failures in hill towns.

"It will recommend scientifically grounded measures for disaster preparedness, mitigation and management, while also addressing the wider environmental challenges confronting our fragile Himalayan ecosystem," he said in a press release.

The developments assume significance in view of the October 4, 2023 flash floods in the Teesta river, originating in Sikkim, which caused deaths and extensive damage along the river in parts of Sikkim and north Bengal.

Bista also welcomed the launch of 'Arjun Vahini', saying it would help create a faster, more specialised and locally available disaster response mechanism in the state.

"For the Himalayan region, this is particularly significant. Our hills face recurring risks from landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods and other natural hazards," he said.

According to Bista, 50 specially trained personnel will be deployed in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, equipped with modern rescue vehicles and specialised equipment and trained to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) standards.

"Arjun Vahini begins with an initial strength of 200 personnel. The deployment is planned with 50 for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills, 50 in the coastal belt and 100 in Kolkata, thus covering the three major risk zones – the hills, coastal regions and urban conglomerate," he said.