The Sikkim government is planning to airlift around 1,200 tourists stranded in North Sikkim, which remained cut off for the second consecutive day after heavy rains triggered massive landslides in the Himalayan state.
Nine people, six in North Sikkim and three in South Sikkim, have been killed since Sunday in landslides.
Around 1,200 tourists, including 15 foreign Nationals, are stranded at Lachung in North Sikkim’s Mangan district. The office of the chief secretary has already initiated talks with the Centre so that the stranded tourists may be airlifted,” said a top official of the state’s tourism and aviation department.
Attempts are also being made to open alternative routes so that the tourists may be safely evacuated by road.
In October 2023, Sikkim was hit by a flash-flood triggered by an outburst of a glacial lake located above 5,000 metres in North Sikkim. More than 100 people were killed.
“The tourists were all safe. There was adequate stock of food and ration to cater to all stranded tourists. They have been advised to stay put and avoid taking any risks,” said the official.
“It rained around 90 per cent more than normal in Mangan from June 1 to June 14. The southwest monsoon is vigorously active in the region,” an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
IMD data shows that Mangan, situated along the India-China border, has received 333mm rain during this period against the normal figure of 174.8mm. It has received 240mm rain in the past 48 hours.
Namchi, a district in southern Sikkim, has received 81 per cent excess rainfall this past fortnight.
“Such excess rainfall (in Mangan) has led to this situation. There is a red alert with 70mm to 200mm rain forecast over the next couple of days in Mangan. There will be rain in the rest of the state and neighbouring sub-Himalayan Bengal,” the IMD official said.
On Friday, chief minister P.S. Tamang held a meeting at his residence in Gangtok to assess the situation.
The calamity has drastically impacted our state, severely damaging properties, disrupting road connectivity, power supply, food supply, and mobile network in multiple areas,” Tamang said in a statement.
“We held the meeting to strategise and coordinate our response efforts to restore normalcy and ensure the safety, and well-being of our residents.”
At the meeting, officials provided briefings on the extent of the damage, including the critical road and bridge disruptions, and updates on immediate relief measures, including the deployment of emergency services and the distribution of essential supplies, sources said.
The movement of light vehicles.
In Kalimpong, the district administration on Friday allowed the movement of light vehicles along the NH10, the principal highway that connects Kalimpong and Sikkim with the rest of the country.
Restrictions had been imposed on vehicular traffic along the route on Thursday because rain had damaged certain stretches of the road.
“Trucks and other heavy vehicles are, however, still taking the alternative route. In Teesta Bazaar, several families living close to the Teesta riverbank have been shifted,” an official said.
Sikkim rains: Over 1,200 tourists stranded in Sikkim’s Lachung, alert sounded in north Bengal.
A total of 1,200 domestic tourists and 15 foreign tourists are stranded in Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district amid rock blockages caused by torrential rainfall and subsequent landslides from earlier this week.
According to a statement made by the State’s tourism department, all stranded tourists are currently safe and have been instructed to stay put at their respective locations. The Sikkim government is in talks with the Centre regarding airlifting of the stranded tourists when the weather conditions improve.
