Sikkim Flood: 51 people including seven soldiers died, hundreds missing, many homeless; How much devastation was caused by the floods in Sikkim?

Posted on 7th Oct 2023 by rohit kumar

Nature's havoc was witnessed in Sikkim, where around 51 people died due to a cloud burst. So far, 26 bodies have been pulled out from the Teesta River in Sikkim and 25 in Bengal. In this accident, the bodies of seven of the 22 soldiers missing from Bardang Army Cantonment in Pakyong district have been found.

 

Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang cornered the previous government over the accident that took place late on Tuesday night. He said that the situation became dangerous and uncontrollable after the cloudburst in Sikkim due to the construction of the dam using substandard material. The Chief Minister further said that this is why there has been a loss of life and property on such a large scale.

 

Dam made of poor material

After the cloud burst, the water of South Lhonak Lake rose and reached the Chungthang Hydroelectric Project Teesta Stage-3 Dam. The dam was made of poor-quality material, which could not handle the rising water. The Teesta River took a monstrous form when the water from the lake and the dam entered the river together. Let us tell you that after this accident about 142 people are missing. Sikkim government will give a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the relatives of the deceased. At the same time, it has been announced to provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 each to those living in relief camps.

 

Relief and rescue operations continue

Giving information, the district administration said that the bodies of 9 civilians and seven army personnel have been found in the Pakyong district. Relief and rescue work is going on in the affected area. Indian Army soldiers, SDRF, NDRF, Sikkim Police along common citizens are continuously engaged in rescue operations. So far 2413 people have been rescued. About 1173 houses were damaged due to the cloud burst. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited the affected areas and ordered an investigation, blaming the previous governments for this.

 

The state government is trying its best

There has been a loss of thousands of crores of rupees due to floods in Sikkim. A helicopter has been hired by the state government for rescue, evacuation, and relief operations in North Sikkim, which can fly in the hilly areas even in bad weather. The work of evacuating people stranded in remote and inaccessible areas will begin on Saturday morning through helicopters.

 

Sikkim Government has immediately sanctioned Rs 25 crore for relief and rescue operations in North Sikkim. State Rural Development Department Minister Sonam Lama said that relief and rescue operations have still not started at full capacity in Chungthang, Lachen, and Lachung. The state government is in touch with the Defense Ministry. The Chief Minister has directed the district administration to provide all possible assistance for the rehabilitation of displaced families. Medical and logistics assistance is being provided to non-Sikkimese citizens working in the state.

 

Also Read: Sikkim Flood: Cloud burst causes devastation in Sikkim, 14 people dead so far; Hundreds missing including 23 army personnel

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