Sikkim Villagers Request Urgent Rehabilitation Post Floods and Landslides

The petitioners highlighted that establishing a model village is crucial for their survival and well-being, given the precarious condition of their current location

Residents of Toong, Rel, and Naga wards in North Sikkim have made an urgent appeal to the Chief Minister, seeking rehabilitation and the construction of a model village under the Smart City scheme at Upper Naga (Rel Partam).

In a letter to the Chief Minister today, the villagers described their dire situation following a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) on October 4, 2023, and a subsequent cloudburst on June 12, 2024. These natural disasters have made their current homes unsafe, with approximately 300 houses critically affected and the area reportedly sinking.

The letter, signed by local leaders including the Vice President of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (North District) and Zilla Panchayat members, highlights the necessity for immediate government intervention. The villagers stressed that the ongoing subsidence of their land makes it impossible to continue living there.

The petitioners highlighted that establishing a model village is crucial for their survival and well-being, given the precarious condition of their current location.

This urgent request underscores the severe impact of natural disasters on vulnerable communities in Sikkim, calling for swift and effective measures to ensure their safety and future stability.

It needs to be mentioned that, fresh landslides have been reported at National Highway 10, near Melli in Sikkim today. The National Highway has been shut for 34 days now as it has been blocked by landslides.

As per reports, the roads between Gangtok-Darjeeling and Gangtok-Jorethong too are shut because of landslides and floods.

Inclement weather and rains continue to be a cause of concern as landslides continue to create blockades for NH-10 and other crucial roads in the state.

Reportedly, last week on Monday, landslides occurred between Melli and Rangpo (NH10).

Earlier on July 27, during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang had raised the issue of NH10, the sole lifeline connecting Sikkim to the rest of the country, and urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to prioritize its restoration and modernization.

The Chief Minister, in his social media, wrote for a permanent solution for National Highway 10, the only lifeline for Sikkim, damaged in the wake of GLOF and the monsoons. He shared, “Given the strategic importance of NH-10, I requested a permanent solution to its frequent disruptions and proposed entrusting its maintenance to a Central Agency like NHAI/NHIDCL. I also sought urgent intervention to restore NH-310A, which connects Gangtok to the Indo-China border, following recent cloudbursts in North Sikkim”.

He also highlighted the severe impact of the South Lhonak Lake outburst on October 4 last year which caused massive flooding and destruction of the Chungthang Dam, rendering the Teesta III Hydro Power Project defunct.

CM Golay presented the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) report, estimating Rs. 3,673.25 crore for recovery and reconstruction, and emphasised the need for continued support.

Meanwhile, the Central Government has allocated Rs 11,000 crore for flood relief in Assam and Sikkim.

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