GANGTOK, Oct 22: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang today assured that the state government was doing everything to restore and transform flood-ravaged Chungthang into a model town.
Tamang said the Centre was also closely monitoring the situation and providing aid and support for the town’s restoration.
“The state government is committed to restoring and transforming Chungthang into a model town,” he said after conducting an aerial survey of the town in an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter.
The flash flood in Teesta river that hit the Himalayan state in the wee hours of October 4 left at least 78 people dead in Sikkim and northern West Bengal.
After the aerial survey, Tamang interacted with the disaster-hit families and distributed cheques of Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to individuals whose houses were damaged in the flash flood. He also gave Rs 20,000 each to people living on rent after their houses were destroyed.
Tamang said more compensation will be given to the affected people on the basis of assessment of the damage by the district administration.
He also handed over Rs 10,000 each to students who had lost books and essential items in the flood.
The chief minister said the state government will pay 10 months’ rent to people of Chungthang whose houses were damaged and are currently living on rent.
The CM said work on an alternate road between Mangan with Chungthang was underway on a war-footing. He added efforts are on to restore connectivity between Chungthang and Lachen.
Tamang thanked the Army, NDRF, ITBP, BRO, SDRF, district administration, local panchayats and people for their help in the aftermath of the flood.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration and locals are working on a war-footing to reconnect North Sikkim with the rest of the country, officials said.
While the BRO has deployed its men to reconnect the Mangan-Toong-Chungthang route, troops of Trishakti Corps, BRO, civil administration and locals are trying to open the alternate Mangan-Sankalang-Theng-Chungthang route, they said.
“This requires construction of two bailey bridges over Teesta river at the Mangan-Sanklang crossing. Working round-the-clock, the first bridge has been completed on October 22,” a statement by the Indian Army said.
“As an immediate response, foot bridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan crossing. These have enabled movement of people on foot and provision of relief materials through the zip lines established,” it said.
“As an immediate relief to restore connectivity up to Chungthang via alternate route Mangan-Sanklang-Theng- Chungthang, troops of Trishakti Corps are undertaking construction of a bailey bridge at Mangan-Sanklang crossing, 200 metres upstream of where a bamboo bridge and zip line was constructed earlier,” it added.
The statement said since the width of the river has increased to 600 feet and water running along two channels with a 160-feet island in between, decision was taken to construct two separate bridges.
“The troops of Trishakti Corps finished construction of the 150-feet-long first bridge on October 22. The second bridge is likely to be completed by October 27,” the statement added. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
