Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Persistent rain triggered dangerous landslides and flooding in the Gyalshing district of West Sikkim. Officials confirmed on September 16 that 161 people moved to safety. The threat escalated sharply starting Tuesday.
At Rimbi, 128 residents from 28 houses abandoned their homes for the Rimbi Gram Panchayat Kendra. Debris choked the Nik Kholsa stream, forcing sludge toward the village. The administration fears a sudden release of trapped water and rock. It is a dire situation. The main Rimbi River shifted its course, tearing into the roadside. A concrete bridge at Rimbi collapsed under the pressure of the surging debris.
The state government plans to build a Bailey bridge higher up. This follows the destruction of the main road on May 15. The Rimbi Integrated Child Development Services Centre sits below the slide zone and remains flooded. Officials are now searching for a safer site for the facility.
Nearby in Singlitam, 33 people across seven families moved to a relief shelter. The state is supplying food and essentials to the elderly and children hunkered down there. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority issued a stern warning to the public. They told residents to avoid slide zones and streams during storms. An official stated: "The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has urged residents of Singlitam, Rimbi and other vulnerable areas to remain alert and avoid active landslide zones and stream courses during periods of heavy rainfall."
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