Normalcy returns to Darjeeling as tourists flock back after devastating landslides

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], October 11 (ANI): After the relentless rainfall and massive landslides in the hill town of Darjeeling, normalcy have returned to the city, and Darjeeling, famous for its tea plantations, is experiencing a resurgence in tourist activity.
A tourist, Arun Ganguly, expressed joy at the town's recovery, saying, "All is well in Darjeeling now. We've toured all of Darjeeling... Everyone should come here for a visit."

Local businesses are also beginning to recover. Neeru Pradhan, a hotel owner in Mirik, shared that tourists are returning because an alternative route has been provided.
"This incident affected the tourism business. Now, tourists are slowly returning because an alternative route has been established... Earlier conditions were bad in Mirik and Darjeeling... But now everything is great, and tourists are slowly coming back," Pradhan said to ANI.

Earlier, the Darjeeling tea industry was severely affected as massive landslides and relentless rainfall wreaked havoc across the Mirik region. Approximately 50,000 tea bushes, spanning 20 hectares of plantation land, were washed away in the incident.
"Never seen such a devastating situation before," said Thurbu Tea Garden manager as massive landslides devastated Darjeeling's Mirik tea industry.
Suman Das, the manager of Thurbu Tea Garden, described the situation as one of the worst in his decades-long career. "The situation is pretty bad here... I have been in this industry for the last 25 years. But I have never seen such a devastating situation before," he said to ANI.
The manager further said that the damage comes at a particularly challenging time for the already struggling tea industry. "It is very detrimental to the industry, especially when the industry is facing numerous challenges during this time of year," Das said.
Ajam Pradhan, a person associated with the Mirik tea industry, told ANI, "It rained so much it felt like a cloud had burst. Around 40 to 50 hectares of Mirik's Tea Garden were damaged in the area. We anticipate this year's Mirik production will be completely impacted."
Pradhan added that tea already produced and kept in factories is at risk of spoilage due to disrupted transport routes. "The tea that's being produced and sitting in the factory is also getting spoiled because transportation is impossible...If the government doesn't step in, the tea industry could suffer significant losses," Pradhan said.
Locals in West Bengal's Darjeeling faced a tough time following heavy rainfall over the past several days, which led to the destruction of infrastructure, including damage to the road connecting Dudhia to Mirik and to Nepal on October 5.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stated that 27 people, including one person from Nepal and another from Bhutan, had lost their lives in the wake of severe rain and landslides in North West Bengal. (ANI)