Lachung, a town in the Mangan district of Sikkim, is currently facing a critical situation where 1,215 tourists are unable to leave due to heavy rain and road closures. C S Rao, Principal Secretary of Tourism and Civil Aviation, confirmed this today and stated that among the stranded tourists, 15 are foreigners with 10 from Bangladesh. However, Mr. Rao assured that all tourists are safe and secure. The local authorities have advised the stranded tourists to remain in their current locations for their own safety.
The Office of the Chief Secretary of Sikkim Government is in discussions with the relevant ministry to arrange for the airlifting of all tourists, as long as weather conditions permit. The Sikkim authorities have also devised a plan to transport them by land in the event that conditions improve. The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang, led a high-level meeting at Mintokgang today to address the recent disaster that has significantly impacted the state. The main focus of this meeting was to strategize and coordinate our response efforts in order to restore normality and ensure the safety and well-being of the residents. During the meeting, officials presented detailed reports on the extent of the damages, with a particular emphasis on critical road disruptions and immediate challenges faced by affected individuals.
They evaluated the destruction of infrastructure, particularly key roads and bridges essential for transportation and relief operations. Meanwhile, engineers from the Irrigation and Waterways department in West Bengal are closely monitoring the situation following a weather forecast predicting heavy rainfall in Mangan and surrounding areas in Sikkim within the next 24 hours. The flow of water from the Teesta river has resulted in partial impacts on Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri. In response, the authorities of the Teesta Barrage Project have systematically opened almost all gates. Chief Engineer Debasish Moulik reported a discharge rate of 3,500 cubic metres per second yesterday. Kalimpong, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri districts are expected to receive heavy (7- 11 cm) to very heavy (12-20 cm) rainfall between 14 and 18 June, with Alipurduar potentially experiencing extremely heavy (20 cm) rainfall on 14 June.
In the past 24 hours, Hasimara, Banarhat, and Alipurduar have already seen significant rainfall, causing local rivers to reach danger levels. Hasimara received 151 mm while Alipurduar received 141 mm of rain during this period. A Flood Control Room has been established since 1 June of this year. Chief Engineer Krishnendu Bhowmick of North Bengal has reported that engineers are closely monitoring the situation based on reports from the Central Water Commission, specifically regarding rivers originating from Sikkim and neighbouring country Bhutan which flow through northern north Bengal.