All colleges and schools in Darjeeling will be closed from October 8 to 10, 2025, due to relentless heavy rains and landslides that have disrupted movement and communication in the area. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) issued an official notification on Tuesday, citing safety concerns for students and staff.
Classes Suspended Across All Institutions
The closure directive is for all government, assisted, private, and missionary schools and colleges, such as SSKs, MSKs, and technical institutes. Institutions are to reopen on October 13, after the weekend break, giving time for relief and restoration work to advance.
Landslides and Floods Claim Lives
Landslides and flash floods have, in the last few days, killed at least 28 people in North Bengal, with many still missing, according to the media reports. The hardest hit was Mirik, where a major bridge collapsed, isolating it from surrounding villages and badly crippling relief efforts. Roads and infrastructure through the hills have been severely damaged.
Government Relief Measures Underway
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation for the affected families and asked officials to establish community kitchens in the affected zones. She also asked local authorities to open special camps for issuing lost documents such as Aadhaar, ration, and PAN cards.
"We will look into the issue of damage to property and loss of homes. Community kitchens will operate in the affected areas. A special camp should be organised for people who have lost their important documents, such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and PAN cards. My government stands by the affected persons," West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, as reported by news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju came to Mirik to gauge the situation, explaining that both the Centre and State will act together on rehabilitation and relief.
“We are here to take a stock of the situation. A lot of damage has happened, and many people have lost their lives in floods and landslides. We are doing the assessment. The state and central government will have to make joint efforts,” he said, as reported by news agency PTI.
