Floods

The October rains also coincided with the autumn flush, a critical harvest that typically contributes about 15 per cent of Darjeeling’s annual production.

A high-level committee (HLC), under the chairmanship of union home minister and minister of cooperation, Amit Shah, has approved Rs. 707.97 crore of additional central assistance to the states of Assam and Gujarat that were affected by flood and landslides in 2024.

Widespread floods and landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains have killed at least 52 people in Nepal and 18 in India’s Darjeeling district.

As weather cleared briefly Sunday, rescue teams reached cut-off areas, airlifting aid to Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta. Volunteers retrieved bodies as aid agencies coordinated emergency relief and logistical support.

Bhutan releases Tala dam water after heavy Himalayan rains, worsening floods. West Bengal warns of sudden rises in Torsha, Sankosh, Jaldhaka rivers, impacting Alipurduar and Cooch Behar.

But beyond the immediate destruction, most prominently over Dehradun on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, new reports and expert commentary point to deeper systemic failures – in climate monitoring, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure planning – that are making the Himalayan state increasingly vulnerable.

In 2024, India experienced extreme weather on 322 days, leading to over 3 400 deaths. The first 90 days of 2025 alone saw 87 days of intense weather events – including floods and heat waves – underscoring an alarming upward trend in disasters.

In one part of the world, floods inundate entire cities. In another, droughts silently wither crops. Glaciers, which took centuries to form, are disappearing in decades. Groundwater, hidden and unseen, is being depleted faster than it can be replenished.