With the monsoon fast approaching, the Hill community is anxious about the well-being of displaced families, who are still residing in different relief camps after being affected by a flash flood on the Teesta River on 4 October, 2023.
Ajoy Edwards, the sabhasad of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and president of the Hill-based Hamro Party, has penned a letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee regarding this matter. He has urged her to take action in providing aid and rehabilitation for the families who have been displaced.
Additionally, Mr Edwards has requested that immediate measures be taken to establish a new road transportation system in order to prevent further inconvenience for those using National Highway 10.
A copy of the letter has been sent to Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways, P S Tamang (Golay), the chief minister of Sikkim, the principal secretary of GTA, the district magistrates and others.
It may be mentioned that the NH-10 and its connecting routes, nearby towns, markets, bridges, structures, and even the Teesta Hydropower Station were engulfed and destroyed by a sudden flood, which greatly disrupted the communication network with neighbouring countries and the strategic location of Sikkim, Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts.
In a correspondence addressed to the chief minister, Miss Banerjee, Mr Edwards of the GTA sabhasad reported that a total of 335 homes in various villages such as Rango, Tarakhola, Mamkhola, Bhalukhoa – Malli, Rayagada, and Bangey have suffered varying degrees of damage.
According to Mr Edwards, the Teesta river’s water level has increased by 10 meters due to sedimentation. This has caused the river to now reach and touch the NH-10 in one specific spot. The silt carried by floods still remains on the riverbed. As a result, those who have been displaced are worried about what will happen during the monsoon season.
The repair of NH-10 is imperative for the delivery of essential goods, medical services, and other important resources. It is difficult to imagine that traffic flow on NH-10 will remain uninterrupted during the monsoon season.