Darjeeling: With attempts to restore road connectivity on a war footing and with improvement of weather conditions, the first batch of stranded tourists were evacuated from flash flood ravaged Chungthang in North Sikkim.
A total of 89 stranded tourist from Lachen and Lachung were safely airlifted upto Mangan and trashshiped upto Gangtok through SNT buses.
The government has arranged their stay at Gangtok and they will be sent to Siliguri on Monday.
The total number of deaths reported as per the Government of Sikkim is 33. The Sikkim government in a fresh advisory stated that tourists willing to visit Sikkim can visit Western and Southern parts of Sikkim via Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Ajay Kumar Mishra, minister of state for Home Affairs, Government of India on Sunday visited disaster affected areas in Naga under Mangan district of Sikkim.
On the Bengal front, Governor C V Ananda Bose visited Teesta Bazar, ravaged by the disaster. Aroop Biswas, Bengal Power minister, visited Rongpu on the Bengal-Sikkim border. “We are all working together so that people get the required relief, including basic amenities like food, shelter, medicine, clothes and blankets. We are trying to ensure they do not face problems. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is monitoring relief and rehabilitation work from Kolkata, the district administration officials along with the GTA are on ground zero. Once the relief work is over, we will all work together for rehabilitation,” added Biswas.
Biswas stated that the Union government has always neglected Bengal. “Not only do they release the Rs one lakh fifteen thousand crore dues to the state but also do not give us relief funds during such disasters. The West Bengal Government has given Rs 25 crore relief fund. The Union government always deprives Bengal. Maybe the BJP-led Centre does not give us funds because Bengal does not give them votes,” added Biswas. The state team, including ministers Biswas, North Bengal Development department minister Udayan Guha, Kalimpong MLA Ruden Sada Lepcha, GTA Chief Anit Thapa, Siliguri Municipal Corporation Mayor Gautam Deb and former Rajya Sabha MP Shanta Chettri also visited the relief camp at Dewan Primary School in Rongpu and distributed relief.
Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose visited Teesta Bazar on Sunday. When confronted with the question of whether he would request the Union government for relief funds for flash flood affected Bengal also, he stated: “This is a fact finding, data gathering exercise. I have come to ground zero. I want to speak to people who suffered, understand their feelings, sentiments and assess what they want. Then I will formulate my strategies. I will certainly take up the matter with not only the Government of India but all stakeholders to find out what next to protect the interest of the people.”
Bose stated that the immediate concern is to bring relief to the people in distress. “All stakeholders will be asked to come together, decide on what to do next, consult local people and frame an action plan which will be implemented immediately with the cooperation of all,” added the Governor.
In Sikkim, 10 domestic tourists were rescued from Chungthang and taken to Pengong and then onto Rangrang and from there onto Gangtok. This was possible with a temporary bamboo bridge being constructed at Chungthang connecting it to Pengong.