Sikkim Floods : Massive trail of devastation , flood connection with Nepal Earthquake?

 

The flood caused by cloudburst in Sikkim has caused massive devastation.  So far 14 people have died in the state due to flood in Teesta river due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim.  While 102 people are missing.  Among the missing are 22 Indian Army soldiers.  More than 22 thousand people have been affected by the floods in the state.  More than 3000 tourists are also stranded in the state.

 According to Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), 2011 people have been rescued.  The state government has set up 26 relief camps in four flood affected districts.  1,025 people have been kept in 8 relief camps in Gangtok.  Actually, due to cloud burst in Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, there was sudden flood in Teesta River.  Due to this, Chungthang Dam also broke.  Due to this, many cities and villages were flooded.  Employees working there also got trapped in the tunnel built on Chungthang Dam.  Efforts are being made to remove them.

 11 bridges across the state were destroyed due to floods in Teesta river.  8 bridges were washed away in Mangan district alone.  At the same time, one bridge in Gangtok and two bridges in Namchi were destroyed.  Water pipelines, sewage lines and 277 houses were also destroyed in the four districts affected by the floods.

 Chungthang city had to bear the brunt of the flood the most.  80 percent of the area here was seriously affected by the floods.  NH-10 highway, considered the lifeline of the state, was also washed away at many places.

 Seven people died in Pakyong district of Sikkim, four people died in Mangan and three people lost their lives in Gangtok.  Of the 102 missing people, 59 are from Pakyong, which also includes army personnel.  At the same time, 22 people are missing in Gangtok, 16 in Mangan and five in Namchi.  26 people have also been injured.

Defense spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said the Border Roads Organization (BRO) is assisting the state in rescue operations in Chungthang and Mangan, where four important bridges have been seriously damaged.  Despite continuous heavy rains and extremely bad weather, more than 200 people have been evacuated to safe areas by BRO.  Nearly 10,000 people have been affected in Mangan district, while 6,895 in Pakyong, 2,579 in Namchi and 2,570 in Gangtok.

Scientists are also exploring the possibilities of Nepal Earthquake causing floods in Sikkim 

“Earthquake that hit Nepal might be a cause of flash floods in Sikkim. The lake was already vulnerable and was spread across 168 hectares. Its area has now reduced 60 hectares, so about 100 hectares of volume of water has breached the level,” a senior official at the Central Water Commission (CWC) said