Darjeeling gets 130mm rain in 24 hours, tourist spots closed after landslip
Times of India | 7 July 2024
SILIGURI: Torrential rain and landslides in the past 24 hours stalled normal life in Darjeeling, forcing the administration to shut down tourist spots and cancel the iconic toy train ride on Saturday.
The hill town has received 130mm rain in the last 24 hours, causing mudslides and landslips at various places. Following this, GTA banned entry of tourists to Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park with immediate effect.The iconic toy train - a tourist favourite - has also been halted.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a Unesco-recognized world heritage property, has cancelled its full-fledged NJP-Darjeeling (87.2 km) run due to multiple landslides and roadblocks along NH-55.
DHR officials maintained that if the downpour continued, they would have to cancel all rides till the weather improved. "The full-fledged services from NJP-Darjeeling and vice-versa were cancelled on Saturday after torrential rains. Debris has accumulated on the tracks. However, there has been no damage to the tracks and restoration work is under progress," said a DHR official.
Rock Garden, also known as Barbotey Rock Garden, is a terraced garden cut out of rocks at different levels, located around 10 km from Darjeeling. Below it lies Gangamaya Park, where visitors enjoy lush tea gardens spread throughout the valley while boating on a tranquil lake.
Dawa Sherpa, chief coordinator of adventure tourism at GTA, said the continuously rising water levels were posing a threat to visitors. "We had visited the two spots for an inspection. We saw that the water levels have increased considerably. To avoid any mishap, we have decided to close the two spots. In Gangamaya Park, there has been silt deposition, so we have cancelled boating there," he said. Over 4 lakh tourists visit the two spots annually, Dawa added.