Sikkim: BRO launches project Swastik to restore roads, bridges after cloudburst swells Teesta

Gangtok (Sikkim): Incessant rainfall and a cloudburst in northern Sikkim on the night of May 30-31 triggered widespread devastation, severely damaging critical roads and bridges. The River Teesta surged by 35-40 feet, snapping regional connectivity.

In view of the grim situation, Project Swastik of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has swiftly launched rescue and restoration operations in the Gangtok-Chungthang and Chungthang-Lachen/Lachung sectors.

BRO teams work relentlessly to restore vital lifelines, ensuring connectivity and aid reaches the affected areas. Meanwhile, several people were stranded in the Lachung and Mangan districts due to the landslides and floods.

Earlier on Monday, tourists in Lachung were actively evacuated through a coordinated effort involving the police, residents, forest personnel, and the Lachung Hotel Association. Gyatso Lachungpa, president of the Lachung Hotel Association, led the evacuation operation on the ground with support from the local administration.

On Sunday, Mangan district Superintendent of Police Dechu Bhutia said that over a thousand tourists were stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan District due to the rains inducing landslides, bridge collapse and damage along with a high rise of the River Teesta. He said that the evacuation process had to be delayed due to the landslide on Friday in Shipgyer in Upper Dozongu.

Mangan SP assured that the evacuation of tourists will be carried out on Monday. Further, damages to the base of the Phidang bridge have restricted vehicular movement to the Dzongu constituency. The GREF completed the restoration work on Sunday, allowing residents and a few emergency service vehicles to commute on foot.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said on May 30 that as the depression over Bangladesh is likely to move nearly north-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to continue in various regions.

For the next few days, IMD has forecast that rains will likely occur in most northeast regions on June 5, with no significant change in maximum temperature in various areas.

(ANI)