Vacationers stranded in forests ride earthmover across river to safety
Times of India | 7 October 2025On Monday, as floodwaters receded and skies cleared, rescue teams from the state police, the forest department, and local administration visited almost every resort and homestay in flood-affected areas, including Madarihat, Jaldapara, Lataguri, and Hasimara.
Nandita Chowdhury, a Kolkata school teacher, recounted her rescue from Jaldapara Tourist Lodge: "We were hesitant to climb on to elephants during Sunday's evacuation, especially after hearing that one elephant carrying tourists had a confrontation with a stray rhino.
On Monday, the authorities arranged an earthmover. We rode the loader bucket across the Holong river to higher ground," she said.
At Falakata, where multiple roads and bridges were damaged, police deployed inflatable boats to ferry tourists to safety. A family of six, whose car was stranded outside the Jaldapara safari point, booked a flight to Kolkata after realising the vehicle could not be retrieved for at least 15 days due to a washed-away wooden bridge.
"We've asked the resort to tow the car back to their compound. We'll collect it later this month," said Priyanka Bhore, a tech professional from Salt Lake.
In Darjeeling, tour operator Samrat Sanyal reported that tourists were stranded in Bijanbari, an offbeat riverside area affected by landslides. Rescue operations there continued on Monday using ropes and ziplines.
Despite the calamity, tourism in Darjeeling and Kalimpong remained largely steady on Monday as tourists kept flocking to the hills and plains after the skies cleared and social media was flooded with Kanchenjungha sightings from multiple places.
West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) data show that hotel and homestay bookings have not dropped significantly, except in areas with disrupted road connectivity.
"We anticipated cancellations, but tourists continue to arrive. We advise them to stay informed about the situation and travel light," Sanyal said.
The scenario differs in the Dooars and Terai belt, where low-lying areas remain submerged and roads are cut off. Hotel and homestay cancellations have surged. In Jaldapara, authorities canceled elephant and jeep safaris until Oct 12, leading to the cancellation of roughly 40% of bookings.
