As rains triggered by the remnants of Cyclone ‘Motha’ lashed north Bengal from Friday (October 31, 2025) and continued to batter the hills till Saturday (November 1, 2025), consultants warned that unregulated development and tourism on this ecologically fragile area are rising the chance of floods and landslides.
Earlier in October, incessant rainfall within the space had claimed over 30 lives and induced greater than 110 main landslips, bringing life to a standstill.
In lots of areas in North Bengal, the rivers are flowing close to or above the hazard mark, elevating panic among the many locals who’re nonetheless recovering from the final catastrophe. A short lived bridge at Dudhia needed to be closed attributable to security issues because the Balason River soared. The iron bridge on the river was broken within the October 5 flash floods.
On October 5, the hills of West Bengal witnessed one of many worst pure disasters to have affected the world in over 30 years. The overflowing rivers and relentless downpour Wreaked havoc throughout the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, killing folks and destroying properties, roads, and bridges. Many roads within the areas are nonetheless blocked as rebuilding of roads and bridges continues.
After the catastrophe struck earlier in October, the West Bengal authorities officers, together with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, blamed the unprecedented rain, poor flood administration by the Central Authorities, and extreme circulation of water within the Sankosh River from Bhutan and Sikkim for triggering the catastrophe.
Impending catastrophe: warn consultants
Nevertheless, consultants imagine that incessant rain and dam water launch might not be the only real cause behind the catastrophe that took a number of lives within the hills.
“Rivers, streams, and waterfalls are the pure drainage system of a mountain, however these are being blocked or rerouted attributable to development and heavy silt deposition. As soon as they’re blocked, flash floods can happen very simply as a result of the carrying capability of the water our bodies is diminished,” Partha Pratim Biswas, professor of development engineering at Jadavpur College, informed. The Hindu,
Prof. Biswas raised questions on why inns are cropping up on the banks of rivers and why development is allowed in these weak places. He highlighted that the craze for “off-beat vacationer locations” is selling the unregulated development of inns and homestays proper beside the rivers.
Consultants additionally added that rainfall patterns are additionally altering attributable to international warming and local weather change, resulting in unprecedented heavy rains inside a brief time period. Like within the intermittent evening of October 4-5, when north Bengal obtained 261mm of rainfall in simply 12 hours, triggering the floods and landslides. To arrange for such conditions, consultants stated that the carrying capability of rivers should even be elevated by dredging, desilting, and stopping development alongside probably the most weak riverbanks.
“Every hill slope is completely different; every slope must be scientifically studied, and if the rock soil formation of the hill doesn’t allow development, we should declare it as a ‘no development zone’, however there is no such thing as a such regulation right here,” Prof. Biswas added. He additionally warned that heavy development on steep slopes makes each the hills and the constructions unstable, and when it rains, it might probably slide the entire construction and crush it.
Deforestation of mountain forests has additionally develop into widespread to advertise the straightforward development of homes and inns. Nevertheless, Prof Biswas warned that the roots of timber act as pure geo reinforcements, binding the delicate mountain soil, stopping erosion and landslides, and as soon as they’re axed, the mountains crumble swiftly.
Consultants additionally warned towards the speedy freeway and tunnel development within the north Bengal hills to ease the commute of vacationers and locals. “No less than 200 meters alongside either side of the river is meant to be a River Regulated Zone (RRZ) to make sure the river’s pure circulation and ecology and keep flood-carrying capability. So, when it rains, and the river swells, it’s sure to clean away all of the inhabitants and homes which can be constructed on the riverbed,” Indrajit Roy Chowdhury, assistant professor of geography at North Bengal College, warned.
Prof Roy Chowdhury additionally added that in an try to advertise renewable power sources via hydropower tasks, the development of dams alongside the Teesta River has additionally diminished its carrying capability.
Method ahead
“Unmonitored development at weak places should be checked to see if they’re following the federal government protocols to make sure sustainable tourism in ecologically delicate zones,” Samrat Sanyal, secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality Tourism Improvement Community, stated. He additionally added that they’re operating an in depth survey throughout the mountains of North Bengal to see if delicate areas are exceeding their carrying capability and submit a report with the federal government of West Bengal.
Tourism consultants within the hills referred to as for a reconsidered mannequin of tourism which is extra sustainable and promotes ecologically sound constructions to keep away from such disasters sooner or later which led to each lack of lives and livelihood this 12 months.
Scientists additionally highlighted the pressing must map the hills in north Bengal to see which hill promotes which kind of development and implement strict laws based mostly on the findings to make sure that nature and other people can peacefully co-exist.
“We can not merely maintain occupied with income. There may be an pressing must take a extra holistic method to advertise sustainable tourism within the hills so we don’t lose our nature and other people to greater pure disasters,” Prof. Roy Chowdhury added.
Revealed – November 02, 2025 08:29 am IST