Prem Singh Tamang, the chief minister of Sikkim, claimed on Friday that the Himalayan state has suffered damages from the flash flood amounting to thousands of crores of rupees, however the precise figures won’t be known until a committee has been created and its investigation is complete.
Tamang stressed that the state government’s top goal is to rescue stranded people and provide them with urgent support while visiting flood-affected districts in Rangpo town in the Pakyong district and assuring displaced residents staying in relief camps of all available help.
Following the flash flood that was caused by a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday, at least 22 people—including seven army jawans—have died and 103 others are still missing.
‘There have been damages worth thousands of crores of rupees. We cannot give exact details about damages. It will be revealed once a committee is formed and it completes its analysis. Our first priority is to save those stranded and provide them with immediate relief,’ the CM told PTI.
‘Road connectivity between districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away. Communication in North Sikkim has been severely affected, the CM said.
According to Tamang, also known as PS Golay, almost 25,000 people have been affected by the natural disaster.
The CM claimed to have called with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other Union ministers to resolve the predicament.
‘They have assured me that all necessary assistance will be provided to the state,’ he stated. Shah has authorized the disbursement of Rs 44.8 crore from the central portion of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim as an advance payment to help those in need.
According to an official statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) in response to a directive from Shah. The IMCT will soon visit the affected areas of Sikkim to assess the damage caused by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst, and flash flood.
According to the statement, the home minister has authorised the release of both installments of Sikkim’s central share of the SDRF, totaling Rs. 44.8 crore, in advance for 2023–2024 in order to assist the northeastern state in providing aid to the impacted citizens. The Sikkim government has received the utmost support from the Center.
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