Around 12,000 people were evacuated from villages along the Sankosh river in Alipurduar after a late-evening alert from the Union water resources ministry warned of possible flood risks following a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Bhutan. Authorities in Alipurduar and neighbouring Cooch Behar moved residents to relief camps while officials monitored water levels across sites in India and Bhutan.
The evacuation was carried out after the alert on Thursday evening, with block administrations instructed to relocate people living along the Sankosh riverbank. Civil defence personnel, police, forest department teams and the Sashastra Seema Bal jointly assisted in the operation across several riverside villages.
The Sankosh is part of a river system that begins in Bhutan. The Mo Chhu flows southwards and joins the Pho Chhu near Punakha Dzong. The combined river becomes the Punatsangchhu, which enters India as the Sankosh before eventually flowing into the Brahmaputra.
In Kumargram, where the Sankosh passes through the constituency, the administration identified 18 flood shelters, including schools. Residents were moved to the shelters with essential belongings and important documents. Food and drinking water were arranged at the camps, while officials and local personnel guided people to safer locations.
West Bengal forest minister and Kumargram MLA Manoj Oraon appealed on social media to residents living close to the river to leave vulnerable areas. Police and administrative officials also made public announcements asking people to remain alert and evacuate without delay.
The alert also caused anxiety in Alipurduar town. The Alipurduar municipality and the Banarhat block administration in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district issued separate announcements around 10pm, warning residents about the possibility of flooding. More than 2,000 people spent the night along the Kaljani river embankment, while some residents approached night guards at schools and colleges seeking access to buildings in case the situation worsened.
Residents said memories of earlier flood disasters influenced their response. “We have not forgotten the devastating Nepal floods of 2026 and the Sikkim GLOF of 2023, and do not want to take any risks,” Alipurduar resident Subir Mitra was quoted as saying.
Alipurduar superintendent of police Amit Kumar Shaw said people living along the riverbank had been shifted to safer locations and that precautionary measures were in place. Central Water Commission officials said they had been monitoring water levels at four sites in India and Bhutan located along the Punatsangchhu or Sankosh. A CWC source said the GLOF’s impact in India had so far not been significant, but officials remained alert.
The situation eased gradually as water levels showed no significant rise, allowing some residents to return home after midnight. Officials in Bengal’s irrigation department ruled out an immediate threat of flooding, while monitoring and public alerts continued.
