Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Saturday visited the landslide-affected Majhua village in Namchi district and interacted with villagers at a relief camp set up at the Tourism Centre at Yangang helipad.
The CM’s visit comes after a devastating landslide claimed the lives of at least three people and destroyed several houses in the village earlier this week.
During his visit, Tamang announced that families whose homes were completely swept away by the landslide would receive half-acre cultivable land. He also distributed Rs 5 lakh cheques as ex-gratia payments to the victims’ families.
In a Facebook post, CM Tamang expressed, “I visited several of the worst-hit areas and personally interacted with the affected residents. Listening to their concerns, I offered words of encouragement and assured them of the government’s commitment to their rehabilitation. We provided food supplies, water, sanitation, medical aid, and shelters where necessary."
Additionally, Tamang directed the Roads and Bridges Department to prioritise restoring road connectivity to Majua village promptly and assured affected families of continued government assistance until normalcy is restored.
At least nine death in landslide-related incident
The Himalayan state has been ravaged by incessant rain in recent weeks, leading to severe impacts such as landslides and flooding. At least nine people have been killed as a result. This has also caused extensive property damage and disrupted road connectivity, power supply, food distribution, and mobile networks in various areas.
Multiple landslides occurred on critical stretches like Dikchu-Sanklang-Toong, Mangan-Sanklang, Singtham-Rangrang, and Rangrang-Toong.
The collapse of the vital Sanklang suspension bridge further isolated North Sikkim, leaving around 1,200-1,500 tourists stranded.
Efforts by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to restore connectivity are underway, with heavy earth-moving equipment deployed on the Dikchu-Sanklang-Toong Road. As of Saturday, 10 km of road has been cleared from Toong towards Sanklang.
The BRO has also cleared debris on Gangtok Road from the Naga side and restored connectivity between Naga and Lanthakhola.
IMD issue red alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red alert for four districts in North Bengal and adjoining Sikkim on Saturday, cautioning of possible landslides and flooding amid continued heavy rainfall.
“Several areas, including Damthang, Gangtok, Tadong, and Ranipool, received between 50 mm to 90 mm of rain in the last 24 hours," said an IMD official in Gangtok.
The weather system over North Bengal and Sikkim, coupled with moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal, continues to trigger heavy rainfall and poses risks of further natural disasters.
(With inputs from PTI)
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