AMN
The evacuation process in disaster-affected areas of North Sikkim in Mangan district has gained momentum. On Tuesday, two MI-17 helicopters, two Chinook helicopters and one Cheetah helicopter deployed by the Indian Air Force evacuated 176 stranded persons and one casualty through 39 sorties. Around 35 tonnes of relief materials were sent to cater to the Army and the civilian population of Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang.
Along with air evacuation, over 1200 people stranded in Chungthang and surrounding areas were evacuated through a footbridge constructed by the army, ITBP and volunteers.
Officials from various departments and the Travels Agents Association of Sikkim are facilitating the evacuation process by maintaining records, documenting, providing assistance to evacuees, and loading relief materials in choppers. Separately, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team visited affected areas of North Sikkim to assess damages and make recommendations to the central government for short-term financial assistance.
Consequent upon the National Crisis Management Committee meeting on the Sikkim disaster chaired by the cabinet secretary on 9th October 2023, a Coordination Committee comprising of senior officers of the BRO, and senior engineers of the Sikkim roads and bridges, and rural development department has been constituted to finalise the location for the construction of suspension bailey bridges to restore connectivity in nine different places where permanent bridges have been completely washed away by floods.