Looking at the two-storey house, it feels as though someone pulled it violently from the ground. It lies face down, the roof’s cornice nearly grazing the earth. A photograph on the second-floor balcony hints at a loving family- where are they now? Amid the devastation, this question echoes across the uneven, silt-laden ground.
Tandu village in Nagrakata seems reborn. Layers of soil and scattered stones give the impression of slow reconstruction. Household doors stand open, empty. A few files lie abandoned on chairs, their owners gone. A dressing table holds a saree left carelessly, a water bottle, a glass, and containers remain untouched, relics without claimants. The concrete floor has been torn apart, and feet sink into the sticky mud. The work of rebuilding this village, layered in silt, has only just begun.
The floodwaters of that fateful Saturday night surged into Bamandanga with terrifying force. News of the dam breaking had reached the villagers, but there was no time to escape. Whatever lay in the river’s path- tin houses, vegetation, temples, fields, and ghats-was swept away, as if erased from existence.
Among the layers of silt lie fragments of lives: a broken mirror, a pencil, a faded pot, a bicycle wheel. People search desperately for their Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and certificates. For those who survived, their tears are the only possessions left. About seventy houses in Tandu were swallowed by the river; the rest lie buried under sand and mud.
The Gathiya River bridge was destroyed, forcing villagers to cross at great risk. Water has receded slightly, and people cling to each other, forming human chains, or balance unsteadily across the river, carrying bicycles and belongings.
Under a lone tree, villagers gather. Sabina Orao breaks down, crying, “I have lost everything. There's no house left. Where will I go now?”
By Tuesday (October 7) morning, many had not eaten. Sima Guriya stares blankly at the canvas of silt where her home once stood, saying, “My house was over there. I went there but couldn't see anything”.
Relief brings a brief respite. Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Shama Parvin and Superintendent of Police Umesh Ganpat arrive with khichuri, water, clothes, and tarpaulins. BMOH Ibrahim Molla risks his life to provide medical care, entering the village via rope, a video of which has gone viral.
Seeing officials brings some to tears. Mamata Mahali pleads desperately, “I have to take the Madhyamik examination. Books, notebooks, certificates- everything is lost. How will I study, Madam?”.
Officials promise reconstruction, educational materials, and livelihood support. The Chief Minister visits the affected areas in Nagrakata, yet the future remains uncertain. Memories of lost loved ones surface in quiet moments, mingling with grief. Can the river’s wrath ever be undone?
The Gathiya River is calm now, though water remains trapped in the soil. As the village clings to hope, a dream lingers-that some magical force will blend the mud and rebuild Tandu, heralding a new dawn.
