News and Photographs by DEEPAK SHARMA
MANGAN, October 3: Due to earthquake measuring 6.8 scales on Sept.18th by 6.12 pm the North Sikkim was hardly affected at Saffo, Chungthang, Dzongu and Mangan. Till 22nd Sept. total 41 death cases was been confirmed in North Sikkim. Details of deceased bought at Mangan Distt.hospital for post mortem on Sept.19th & 20th- Teesta Urja Ltd. Saffo, Audit-V (9persons, Bisnu Lama, Tek Bdr Subba, Santosh Kr Singh, Ranjit Nath, Narayan Darjee, Gopal Gurung, Dambar Subedi, Dinesh Rai & Binu Lama), Abir Construction, Saffo, Audit-V(2prsn, DD Gupta in DGM post & another staff is unidentified still), Local people at Saffo(2persons, Tashi Lepcha, Panchayat Saffo & Passang N Lepcha staff of Mangan SSA), Barfok(1, Norzang Lepcha), Toong(1, Ganga Rai) and Mangan, Ambithang, Belivers Church, Pastor(1, Nirmala Tamang) and GREF 86 RCC, Lachen(1, Vijay Kumar)of Himachal Pradesh.
On 21st Sept, 12 deceased bodies were bought at Mangan, Ringhim helipad by 2 choppers.Rescue teams from Baghdogra, Siliguri has reached affected areas by today morning and search operation is on progress. Area MLA, TW Lepcha visited maximum affected areas and met with people on Sept.18th & 19th. District Administration, DM(N), ADC(N), Police Deptt, Sr.SP(N), DFO(T), SDPO Mangan & Chungthang, had alerted all the line Deptt to take major steps in rescue operation & public safety, DRM Staffs, MSSS & NSA students and the local public are also coordinating for rescue operation. The roads are blocked near Toong, Theng and more than 5 major places towards Saffo. Gangtok-Mangan highway is also disrupted. District hospital still hasn’t provided DG set or generator from Department for emergency cases and the staff faces several problems.
Death cases raised to 61 in North District rescue team faces difficult terrine
On September, 21 at Bay Village in Dzongu 7 people died on Sept.18th & a Portion of Bay village was totally swept away, relatives of Nima Lepcha & Kindup Lepcha and the village is totally swept by river, rescue team reached at spot today and will try to start to take out the bodies and the body will be released at spot to family members. At around 2.15pm 15 people have been died due to landslide occurred above Ringdang bridge, Liching body still not recovered and three escaped from their while coming from Saffoo. From Saffo three dead bodies was brought at Mangan hospital today, named Mohan Reddy, Santosh Kumar & Sibu Haldar. Maximum labours and workers of Teesta Urja Ltd. are leaving for home from Adit-V, Adit-III, chungthang and other areas as everyone faced lots of problems and even the Project companies haven’t coordinated them, informed several victims.
At Pentong 4 houses was badly damaged and at Sakyong 7 houses have been damaged but no loss of life still confirmed though the condition of roads is very worst and the village is disrupted from District. Above Bay more than 14 domestic cows with one woman & child is missing from Sept.18th. Tholung Gumpa is also seventy percent damaged by quake. The District is in need of satellite phone for emergency hours for proper communication. Zilla member, Sakyong Pentong informed that, the people are staying at relief camp, though the essential commodities are dropped through air. And the stretch from Lingzya and above is totally cut off and the Government should take major steps to recover the stretch for transportation at earliest and Tholung, Bay, Sakyong & Pentong area which had more than 600 population and the concerned department should carry up the survey for damage assessment of public & Govt property damage for recover it soon as public & Panchayat still awaits survey teams for assessment of loss of property and at several places of Dzongu affected areas are facing problems of drinking water, informed Zilla Panchayat, Sakyong Pentong GPU, Topnam Lepcha.
Sandhya Rai, Raju Rai, Md.Hussain with other 7 persons (massion) who were there from Sept.13th to repair the Gumpa however escaped from Tholung and reached Mangan by today. Fire Deptt. Building & Mgn. hospital building is in critical condition and the Fire Deptt, staffs & family members are staying outside of Govt.residence in fear and feeling in secured. The MNP and people of Mangan bazaar had started cams for provision of foods for the people coming from Project site those who escaped from quake and leaving for home town. The choppers of Teesta Urja Ltd and Army are still dropping essential commodities & medicines at major affected areas of North District and people are still staying at relief camps. The death cases reached 59 in North District information collected from different sources of the affected areas but the death toll report at Mangan control room is registered only 38 casualties in North. Today on 3rd Sept. 2011 slight sake of earth was observed at Mangan by 3.15pm and people are still in fear of Earth quake. The victims are being provided EQ relief cheques for maintenance of house and casualties but the relief amounts are not defined as per damage records and public are dissatisfied with instant relief fund disbursement.
