North Bengal rains trigger floods, landslides and bridge collapse in Darjeeling

Kolkata,UPDATED: Jun 19, 2026 17:27 IST

Heavy overnight monsoon rain that continued till Friday afternoon disrupted life across large parts of north Bengal and flooded several areas of Kolkata and adjoining south Bengal districts, causing traffic snarls on key roads. Torrential rain in neighbouring Bhutan and Sikkim also pushed rivers in north Bengal, including the Teesta and the Balason, a major tributary of the Mahananda, close to danger levels, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy showers likely in parts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar over the next few days. Orange alerts were issued for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Cooch Behar, and for the south Bengal districts of Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Purba Barhaman, Purba and Paschim Medinipur for the next 48 hours, with heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds forecast. Multiple landslides were also reported in the Darjeeling hills, cutting off connectivity between Siliguri and various parts of the hills through the NH 110 arterial road.

In Darjeeling, incessant rain led to the collapse of a temporary bridge over the swollen Balason river, disrupting vehicular movement between Siliguri and the Mirik subdivision, officials said. The hume pipe structure had been built as an alternative after the Dudhia iron bridge collapsed in October 2025. "A portion of the temporary hume pipe bridge at Dudhia collapsed after a sudden rise in water level of the river due to torrential rain," an official said. He added that vehicular movement had been diverted through alternative routes via Pankhabari and Kurseong.

In Kolkata, roads in central and north Kolkata and the Sector V area of Salt Lake were submerged after the morning downpour, slowing traffic during office hours. College Street, Amherst Street and Camac Street remained waterlogged long after the rain had eased. Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials said reports of waterlogging had come in from several areas, but described the situation as not severe. "Pumping stations and other drainage measures have already been pressed into action, and civic personnel are on alert. Water is expected to recede once the rain stops," a KMC official said. With the International Day of Yoga to be observed on Sunday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to attend a programme at Red Road, the KMC is monitoring the situation from a control room and remains on high alert, officials said.

In some low-lying areas, water entered houses and educational institutions, affecting residents, office-goers and students. A teacher at a school in Bally in neighbouring Howrah district said yoga practice sessions ahead of the International Day of Yoga were hit after classrooms were flooded. "Classes had to be called off as water entered several classrooms, making it impossible for students to attend lessons," the teacher said.

According to the IMD, Alipore recorded 43.6 mm of rainfall, Dum Dum 58 mm and Salt Lake 80 mm between 8.30 am and 11.30 am. With more rain forecast and rivers running high, the downpour continued to affect transport and daily life across north and south Bengal on Friday.

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