GANGTOK, Aug 14: Twenty-four families have been shifted from affected Mantam in Sikkim’s North district as river Teesta was in spate even as a natural lake came up in the nearby spot due to sudden surge of water from it’s tributary Kanaka river, one day back.
Sikkim Minister for Forests, Tshering Wangdi Lepcha, after visiting the site with Geologist from NHPC, said today though the river was over flowing and gradually making way through the deposited debris of about 300 meter length there was no immediate cause of alarm.
District officials said as of now 24 families have been evacuated to safer areas.
There was no smart shower today.
However, the government’s alert in downstream places like Namprikdang, Sangkalang, Pheedang, Dikchu, NHPC Damsite Singtam, Rangpo remained in force.
The sudden surge of water in the river was preceded by a slide at around 1:30 pm in yesterday afternoon at a massive cliff ‘So-Bhir’ adjacent to Teesta’s small tributary Kanaka khola (river), 3 km from Passingdang in Dzongu, North Sikkim.
This led to creation of an artificial lake, estimated to be 150 ft wide, which gave rise to the apprehension on yesterday of bursting any moment and discharging huge volumes of water into Teesta triggering an emergency.
Around 300 meters of road also got damaged and a foot bridge washed away. (PTI)
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