GANGTOK, Nov 9

Morcha supporters sign on a map outlining the territory they want to be considered as Gorkhaland near Darjeeling More in Siliguri on Tuesday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo
Darjeeling, Aug. 19: The forest department has agreed to conduct a field inspection next week for the transfer of land to the NHPC for the construction of an alternative route along the Teesta- Takdha road.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has stopped work at the sites of the two hydel projects for the past two days, however, said it would carry on with its protest till the inspection took place on August 25.

Erosion by the River Teesta has turned grave at village Kalmati under Lalmonirhat sadar upazila with over 120 houses devoured in the last few days. Standing crops on about 20 acres of land, fruit gardens and homesteads have gone into the gorge of the river at the village, 12 kilometers off the Lalmonirhat town, local sources said. At least 100 families have become homeless as their houses have been devoured by the river in the last three days, they added.

Flooding of Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas in Nilphamari district with the rise of Teeta and its tributaries and other rivers in Nilphamari including Saniajan, Buri Teesta, Deunai, Burikhora, Charalkanta, Jamuneswari, Panga still remains at a precarious level. The rivers swelled as India opened all the gates of Gojaldoba barrage in the upstream to release the pressure of water from heavy rainfall in its territory and onrush of water from the hills.

While all other rivers were flowing below their danger level, only the Teesta in the north was flowing 37cm above red mark Saturday morning. But the river swelled by onrush of water from upstream may calm down from Saturday afternoon, said an official of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre. The Teesta fed by rushing water from the upstream after the barrage at Gazaldoba, opened across the border, has flooded some low-lying areas, since Friday night. The situation was likely to get normal from Saturday afternoon, he pointed out.

All major rivers and their tributaries marked further rises following continuous moderate to heavy rainfalls and onrush of hilly waters from upper catchments in the greater Rangpur area, officials said on Friday. There is no flood situation so far in Kurigram, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha where the rivers marked rises but were flowing one metre to two metres below their respective danger marks at all points, Water Development Board officials said.

Students and young people are at the forefront of a protest against hydel projects that are being planned in Sikkim. AT THE VENUE of the relay fast that has continued in Gangtok since June 2007. The Affected Citizens of Teesta comprises students, professionals and former politicians. DAWA LEPCHA has a tube stuck up his nose. It goes right down to his stomach. Sometimes, while he is asleep, it moves and chokes him. But the tube is his only sustenance. The juices poured through it are the only nourishment that keeps him alive.

GANGTOK