While yellow alert for rain and thunderstorm has been issued for West Bengal, heavy rainfall in northern Sikkim on Tuesday and Wednesday led to landslides in the neighbouring state, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded there.
Officials said the road linking Lachen and Lachung has been closed for traffic and a substantial section of the road between Sankelan and Phidang has been damaged.
Sources said issuance of new permits for tourists in north Sikkim has been halted, and all previously issued online permits have been revoked. The district administration said that the permits will remain suspended as long as the situation persists.
The Dzungur road, often used as an alternative route, has also been impacted by several landslides, adding to the problems of the tourists.
“We are advising everyone not to visit North Sikkim,” said Rajesh Gupta, owner of Khusi Tour and Travels of North Bengal.
Officials said that road repair operations in the Lachen and Lachung regions have started, and disaster response teams are actively engaged in rescuing stranded tourists.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued yellow alert for the entire West Bengal with the forecast of continued thunderstorms and heavy rainfall till Saturday.
Both northern and southern parts of West Bengal are likely to receive light to moderate rain and thundershowers, with gusty winds reaching up to 60 kmph, the Met said.
As many as eight districts in North Bengal, including Darjeeling and Cooch Behar, might experience isolated heavy rainfall of 7-11 cm on Friday, accompanied by strong winds of 40-50 kmph, which could intensify to 60 kmph in some areas.
The western and northern districts, including Purulia, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, and Murshidabad, are likely to experience light to moderate rain and thundershowers on Friday.
Murshidabad, in particular, has a forecast of heavy rainfall of 7-11 cm on Friday.
Meanwhile, the coastal and central districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, and North and South 24 Parganas, will see increasing rainfall intensity on Friday. The coastal areas are also likely to receive heavy rainfall from May 28 as a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal, the IMD said.
It said that the low-pressure area will become more marked during the subsequent two days.
“Under its influence light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall is likely to commence on May 28 over coastal areas of West Bengal,” IMD said.
The authorities have advised residents across Bengal to prioritise safety and stay indoors, avoiding open fields, isolated trees, and water bodies due to the high risk of lightning strikes and potential waterlogging in low-lying areas.