Gangtok, March 27: A massive landslide hit Sikkim’s Sokpay village in Gangtok, causing significant damage to the National Highway along the Dikchu-Rakdong Road. The landslide destroyed four houses and affected 18 families in the area. However, there were no casualties reported.
The local administration has evacuated around 15-20 families living near the two damaged houses, and the district magistrate of Gangtok, Tushar Nikhare, and other officials surveyed the site on Sunday afternoon. The affected people were provided with relief funds, including Rs 1,30,000 to two house owners, Rs 40,500 to a cow owner, and Rs 25,000 to a tenant whose shop was damaged.
The landslide occurred from around 2:30 am to 3 am, damaging a nearby Animal Husbandry office, according to local resident Mohan Neopaney, as many as 15-20 houses were affected, and everyone lost electricity and water connections. The local residents are hopeful that the government will provide them with relief.
Many surveys were conducted by officials in the past, and they suggested relocating to a safer area. However, nothing as such ever happened, as per Manju Sharma, a local resident of Sokpay village. She added that they have to leave their houses every monsoon and stay in neighbors’ homes. They feel that the government can give them land, set up a colony, and shift them there.
Also Read: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Ministers Meet to Discuss Border Disputes
The Mines and Geology Department will survey how the landslide occurred, according to Gangtok Zilla Adhyaksha, Balaram Adhikari. He added that there is an NHPC dam at the base of the hill and a powerline tower at the top, and according to the locals, the dam is the reason for landslides, but they cannot ascertain it.
The highway connects to North Sikkim, and an alternative road from the nearby Samdong village is commutable after the landslide. Public Health Engineering officials have initiated actions to open road connectivity, which could take 2-3 days due to the size of the boulders. A pathway will be carved from the slide to allow people to walk.
A landslide in Sokpay village has caused significant damage, affecting the lives of 18 families. The local administration is assessing the loss caused due to the landslide, and the Mines and Geology Department will survey how it occurred. The affected people were provided with relief funds, and efforts are being made to open road connectivity.
