Indian Army personnel from the Kripan Division of Trishakti Corps rescued 72 villagers, including 24 children, from the Mechpara village near Hashimara in Jalpaiguri who were stranded due to flooding in the area.The Army personnel were responding to a request by the civil administration in the area, a statement released on Twitter said.The Telegraph reported that DM Surendra Kumar Meena reached the Mechpara tea estate workers quarters along with civil defence, army personnel, and disaster management teams. The Indian Army was contacted through the Hasimara Air Force Station, and an aerial survey was conducted to locate the people stranded in the area.#WeCare Responding promptly to requisition by civil administration, troops of #KripanDivision #TrishaktiCorps came to rescue of inhabitants of Mechpara village near Hashimara, where villagers were stranded inside village due to floods. 72 villagers including 24 children were… pic.twitter.com/sUYqOJPQ0b— Trishakticorps_IA (@trishakticorps) July 13, 2023“The rapid flow of the Kaljani River led to the flooding of Mechpara village and the washing of the only bridge connecting Mechpara with the main highway. Responding promptly to a requisition by the civil administration, troops of the Kripan Division of Trishakti Corps acted promptly and rushed to the site,” a press release by the Indian Army said.“Although the fast-flowing waters posed a huge threat to life, army personnel crossed the river and established a rope crossing to facilitate the movement of villagers to a safe location. With continuous efforts under the heavy rains, the troops evacuated 72 villagers, including 24 children.“In spite of rising water levels, army troops carried out a thorough search of the village to ensure that nobody else was stranded inside. Six villagers, including two children, who were trapped inside one of the remotest houses, were also evacuated during the search.”Heavy rainfall across North Bengal flash floods in Jalpaiguri and neighbouring areasThe districts in North Bengal, including Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar, have witnessed intense rainfall since the nights of July 12, which has led to the waters of the Torsa and Kaljani rivers swelling to dangerous levels.The Met Office in Kolkata reported the rainfall levels in the last 24 hours to be 290mm in Banarhat in Jalpaiguri, Mangan in Sikkim (250mm), Buxadooar in Alipurduar (210mm), and Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri (200mm).#FloodWarningCondition of roads in Jalpaiguri. pic.twitter.com/VYEvoEzvF9— Abir Ghoshal (@abirghoshal) July 13, 2023Such heavy rainfall has caused flash floods, and several cave-ins and erosions have been reported. The approach road to the Goborjyoti River bridge was washed away by heavy rainfall on Thursday, The Telegraph reported.
