Incessant rain in Sikkim & Kalimpong causes multiple landslides, loss of lives
Darjeeling: With incessant rainfall for the past few days in Sikkim, the situation has turned grim with multiple landslides, loss of life and property, especially in North Sikkim. With the Teesta River in spate, the effects have been felt in the areas along the river in the Kalimpong district also. There is panic among the residents residing in these areas, fearing a rerun of the October 4, 2023 tragedy, whereby there was widespread devastation owing to flash floods in the Teesta in North Sikkim.
Areas like Ravijhora, Teesta bazar road have been inundated. Owing to this, traffic movement from
Kalimpong, Sikkim via Teesta Bazar, Peshok came to a standstill on Thursday. Traffic restrictions have been imposed from Melli to Chitrey areas due to cracks on the road. Traffic has
been diverted. “Continuous watch on the rainfall and water levels is being monitored. Special team of civil defence personnel and police are manned at strategic locations for necessary monitoring and surveillance. No one has been shifted to the shelters yet and there is no report of any loss to property.
The Disaster Management department of the district and blocks are actively monitoring the situation through the control room round-the-clock” stated Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate, Kalimpong, while talking to Millennium Post.
An order issued by the District Magistrate, Kalimpong, stated that movement of all heavy vehicles, including buses, is restricted from Melli to Chitrey and vice versa via National Highway 10 until further order. The same restriction is also applicable from Melli to 29th Mile. Movement of all vehicles is restricted via Rabi Jhora, Teesta Bazar, Peshok to Darjeeling.
All vehicles from Kalimpong to Darjeeling and vice versa will move from 27th Mile-Teesta Valley-Darjeeling route. Only small vehicles will move from Rangpoo towards Siliguri via Munsong-17th Mile-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan to Siliguri round-the-clock. Heavy goods vehicles, buses and small vehicles will move from Reshi- Pedong-Algarah-Lava to Siliguri round-the-clock, stated the order. “From 1 am on Thursday, we have been spending the night outside clinging on to whatever little we have, mainly documents. We had lost everything in the floods of October 4. The level of the water in the Teesta has risen dangerously. We are helpless,” stated Sunayna Devi, a local resident. North Sikkim is the worst affected with loss of life, property and heavy damage to road connectivity and infrastructure. As per government reports from Mangan in North Sikkim, there are 3 persons missing from Ambithang near Rangrang. There are 2 persons missing and one body recovered from Pakshep,
near Mangan.
Many houses have been damaged owing to landslides and multiple roads blocked owing to landslides. The Sankalang Bridge has been swept away. Mobile network is non functional in North Sikkim.
More than 200 tourist vehicles with hundreds of tourists are reported to be stranded in North Sikkim, mainly in Lachung. Efforts are on to tranship them to Toong from where they will be transported to Gangtok. Mangan had received 220.8 mm of rainfall in 24 hours as recorded at 8am on Thursday.
