Page 8 - Sikkim

Sikkim's Teesta III river dam disaster: When neglect flows downstream

Larger questions have also emerged on the ecological sensitivity of the glacial regions around Sikkim, their susceptibility to extreme weather events, rapid infra creation and lack of climate adaptati

18 dead, 98 people still missing as search continues in Sikkim flash flood

Fourteen bodies have been found so far while 102 people, including 22 Army personnel, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said on Thursday. So far, 2,011 people have been rescued, while the calamity that happened on Wednesday affected 22,034 people, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in its latest bulletin. The search for the 22 missing soldiers was continuing with a focus on the downstream areas as the fast-flowing river is likely to have carried them to the lower reaches, officials said. The state government has set up 26 relief camps in the four affected districts, the SSDMA said. A total of 1,025 people are taking shelter in the eight relief camps in Gangtok district, while the number of inmates at the 18 other relief camps was not available immediately. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited Singtam, one of the worst affected areas, and took stock of the ..

Sikkim flash flood: Study warned about threat of South Lhonak lake bursting

A study by an international team of researchers had warned two year ago that the South Lhonak lake in Sikkim may burst in the future and significantly impact the downstream region. An outburst in the South Lhonak Lake on the intervening night of October 3-4, triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, leaving 14 people dead and 102 others, including 22 army personnel, missing. The event also resulted in the breach of the Chungthang dam, which is the largest hydropower project in Sikkim. The 2021 study, published in the journal Geomorphology, highlighted that South Lhonak Lake had witnessed a significant growth in the past decades due to glacial retreat, thereby increasing its chances of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF). GLOFs occur when lakes formed by melting glaciers suddenly burst open. This can happen due to various reasons, such as too much water accumulating in the lake. Studies show that the glacier receded about 2 kilometres in 46 years from 1962 to 2008. It furt

NHPC's two hydropower plants in Sikkim affected due to flash floods

State-owned NHPC's two hydro power plants in Teesta Basin in Sikkim have been affected following flash floods on Wednesday. According to a BSE filing, the two affected projects are Teesta-V Power Station (510 MW) and Teesta-VI (500 MW), being executed by Lanco Teesta Hydro Power Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NHPC. "It is also to inform that considering the emergent situation, all units of Teesta-V Power Station have been shut down," the filing said. Detailed assessment of losses/ damages will be carried out after the water level recedes.

'Govt must rethink strategy in dealing with ecologically fragile states'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday voiced concern over the situation in Sikkim and urged the Centre to declare both the Sikkim flash floods and Himachal Pradesh floods as national disasters. He also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Sikkim flash floods. The situation in Sikkim is precarious as several people have lost their lives and many, including our brave Army personnel, are missing due to cloudburst and flash floods, he said. "Our thoughts are with the people of Sikkim who are battling these distressing times. The Union Government must do everything possible to rescue people in safer locations and find the missing persons, whose count is reportedly steadily increasing," Kharge said in a post on X. He said a lot of damage has been done to the infrastructure, and the Union and the state government must work together in the medium and long term to rebuild this beautiful state. The Congress party and its workers shall help i

14 dead, 102 missing in Sikkim flash flood, 3,000 tourists stranded: Govt

Injuries and persons missing have been reported from Chungthang in Mangan district, and Dikchu, Singtam in Gangtok district and Rangpo in Pakyong district

Excess rainfall, glacial lake outburst likely cause of Sikkim flood: NDMA

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday said the possible cause of the flash flood in Sikkim could be a combination of excess rainfall and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event at South Lhonak lake in North Sikkim. In a statement, the NDMA also said the Himalayan ranges are host to many glacial lakes, estimated through remote sensing techniques at about 7,500 and of these, Sikkim has around 10 per cent of which nearly 25 are assessed to be at-risk. Giving details of the incident, the NDMA said in the early hours of Wednesday, there was a sudden surge in water flow in the Teesta river, which washed away several bridges, parts of NH-10, the Chungthang Dam and has impacted several small villages, towns and infrastructure projects in the upper reaches of the river valley. The main affected districts are Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi. "While scientists are investigating the exact cause of the flash flood, the primary reason for the sudden surge appears

Cabinet Secy reviews situation in Sikkim, emphasises evacuation of people

Gauba's directions came while chairing the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting

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8 dead, 23 army men among 49 missing as flash flood wreaks havoc in Sikkim

At least eight people died and 49 others, including 23 army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin, officials said. Three of the dead were washed up in north Bengal, they said. The flood in Sikkim that started around 1.30 am was made worse by the release of water from Chungthang dam, the officials said. Five bodies have been recovered from Golitar and Singtam region, Gangtok Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mahendra Chettri said. Another official said besides the 23 army personnel, 26 civilians were also missing, while 45 people rescued, including 18 injured. A steel bridge at Singtam, known as Indreni bridge, 30 km from the state capital Gangtok has been completely washed away by Teesta river water early Wednesday, the official said. The Sikkim government, in a notification, said the natural calamity has been declared as a disaster. The release of water from the Chungthang dam led

Sikkim flash flood: 3 NDRF teams deployed, 23 army personnel missing

Several army vehicles were swept away and some Army establishments were also damaged due to the flood

IHCL opens resort in Sikkim; to set 11 hotels in NE, 3 under development

Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) on Monday announced that it has expanded its footprint in Sikkim with the opening of a resort in state capital Gangtok. The 69-key resort, spread over 14 acres of land, is a serene hide-out and is a blend of Sikkimese aesthetics and contemporary design, the company said in a statement. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang attended the opening of the resort. "The launch of Taj Guras Kutir Resort & Spa in Gangtok demonstrates our commitment to the commercial and tourism potential of the region. After Pakyong, the presence in Gangtok strengthens our footprint in the state and offers a new travel circuit," IHCL MD and CEO Puneet Chhatwal said. Nestled in the alpine landscape of Sikkim, the resort is set amidst lush greenery and offers panoramic views of the Kanchenjunga, the statement said. With the addition of the new facility, IHCL will have 11 hotels with three under development in Northeast India. This includes three

Next assembly polls last opportunity to save Sikkim: Former CM Chamling

The upcoming assembly polls will be the last opportunity to save Sikkim from the misrule of the SKM, former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling said, as he exhorted SDF workers to stand united and reach out to people in every constituency. "We must ensure that the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) wins so that our state is saved," Chamling said at a function here. Assembly elections in Sikkim are due late in 2023 or early next year. "The next assembly polls will perhaps be the last opportunity to save Sikkim from the misrule of the Prem Singh Tamang government... It will require a massive team effort to take on the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM). There is little time available to prepare, and the party workers must go among the people in the constituencies, and talk to them about the issues confronting the state, Chamling said. Meanwhile, Hamro Sikkim Party president and Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia did not join the SDF on Tuesday as announced earlier. SDF leaders s

Rojgar Mela in Sikkim: 104 recruits get job orders including 7 locals

Rozgar Mela was organised on the premises of the Sikkim Tourism Department building in Gangtok in which appointment letters were distributed to newly inducted personnel in different Forces on Monday

We must promote tourism but not at villages' cost: Union tourism secretary

Tourism should be promoted but not at the cost of villages, Union Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi on Wednesday said as she held an interactive session with a group of sarpanches and gram pradhans from a large number of border villages. She said adventure tourism is an important segment for the tourism ministry and it has huge potential in the villages chosen under the Vibrant Villages Programme. Launched as a centrally-sponsored scheme, the programme envisages comprehensive development of identified villages in 46 blocks abutting the northern border in 19 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Vidyavathi held a session with 300 sarpanches and gram pradhans from the border villages chosen under the programme at Hotel Ashoka here, the tourism ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, these village heads attended the 77th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. They were among the 1,800 special guests invited to the .

69,523 grievances redressed in July, Sikkim tops N East complaint disposal

As many as 69,523 public grievances have been redressed by different states in July, with Sikkim being the topper in disposing maximum number of complaints in the north east, an official statement issued on Wednesday said. Sikkim is followed by Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it said. The ranking has been released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in its 12th monthly report of Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for states for July, 2023. The CPGRAMS allows raising of public grievances online. The DARPG ranks states/Union Territories across four categories, i.e. north eastern states, Union Territories, with two other categories for states being bifurcated based on the number of receipt of grievances. In the Union Territories category, Lakshawdeep has got the first rank followed by Andaman and Nicobar and Ladakh, according to the Personnel Ministry statement. Uttar Pradesh has topped among the states which rec

SJVN signs agreement with Sikkim Urja for trading of 180 MW power

State-owned SJVN Ltd has signed a trade agreement with Sikkim Urja Ltd for supply of 180 megawatt (MW) hydro power. As part of the agreement, power will be supplied to distribution licensees and open access consumers, SJVN said in a statement on Thursday. "SJVN inks an MoU (memorandum of understanding) for power trading with Sikkim Urja Ltd (SUL). "As per terms of the MoU, SJVN shall receive 180 MW hydro power from SUL's 1,200 MW hydro electric project in Sikkim to distribution licensees and open access consumers," it said. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has already granted category-I licence for inter-state electricity trading to SJVN, its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Nand Lal Sharma said. "Our trading business is expanding and this MoU will act as a booster to the growth engine of SJVN and enable us to assist the central government in fulfilling its vision of 24x7 power to all," Sharma said. SJVN is a public sector undertaking involved in hydroelectric

'Sikkim tops northeast, UP among bigger states in grievance redressal'

Sikkim has topped the northeastern states in addressing public complaints, followed by Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre said on Tuesday. The ranking was made in the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) monthly report, released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Personnel Ministry, for states for June 2023. "Government of Sikkim tops the ranking among the northeastern states with a score of 66.70 per cent, followed by the government of Assam with a score of 57.45 per cent and government of Arunachal Pradesh with a score of 52.30 per cent. "Sikkim has disposed of 173 grievances with an average closing time of 43 days from January to June 2023," it said. Lakshadweep has topped the ranking among the Union Territories with a score of 70.41 per cent, followed by the Andaman & Nicobar Islands with a score of 64.55 per cent, and Ladakh with a score of 55.25 per cent, said the statement issued by the ...

Sikkim CM announces compensation for cattle died due to Lumpy Skin Disease

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Saturday said cattle rearers who lost cows, pigs and other livestock due to Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) earlier this year will get compensation. LSD had struck Namchi, Pakyong and Soreng districts a few months ago in which a large number of livestock were killed. The animal husbandry and veterinary services department had taken several measures to contain the spread of the disease. Addressing a function to mark Gwala Diwas at Jorethang town in South Sikkim, the CM said 2000 Holstein breed cows will be distributed among cattle rearers to boost milk production in the state. He said 40 milk collection centres, each at a cost of Rs 5 lakh, will be constructed from next year to improve procurement. He also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the best milk cooperative society in the state from this year.

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