Committed to restoring flood-ravaged Chungthang town, says Sikkim CM
Gangtok (PTI): Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday assured that the state government was doing everything to restore and transform flood-ravaged Chungthang into a model town.
Tamang said the Centre was also closely monitoring the situation and providing aid and support for the town's restoration.
"The state government is committed to restoring and transforming Chungthang into a model town," he said after conducting an aerial survey of the town in an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter.
The flash flood in Teesta river that hit the Himalayan state in the wee hours of October 4 left at least 78 people dead in Sikkim and northern West Bengal.
After the aerial survey, Tamang interacted with the disaster-hit families and distributed cheques of Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to individuals whose houses were damaged in the flash flood. He also gave Rs 20,000 each to people living on rent after their houses were destroyed.
Tamang said more compensation will be given to the affected people on the basis of assessment of the damage by the district administration.
He also handed over Rs 10,000 each to students who had lost books and essential items in the flood.
The chief minister said the state government will pay 10 months' rent to people of Chungthang whose houses were damaged and are currently living on rent.
The CM said work on an alternate road between Mangan with Chungthang was underway on a war-footing. He added efforts are on to restore connectivity between Chungthang and Lachen.
Tamang thanked the Army, NDRF, ITBP, BRO, SDRF, district administration, local panchayats and people for their help in the aftermath of the flood.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army's Trishakti Corps, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration and locals are working on a war-footing to reconnect North Sikkim with the rest of the country, officials said.
While the BRO has deployed its men to reconnect the Mangan-Toong-Chungthang route, troops of Trishakti Corps, BRO, civil administration and locals are trying to open the alternate Mangan-Sankalang-Theng-Chungthang route, they said.
"This requires construction of two bailey bridges over Teesta river at the Mangan-Sanklang crossing. Working round-the-clock, the first bridge has been completed on October 22," a statement by the Indian Army said.
"As an immediate response, foot bridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan crossing. These have enabled movement of people on foot and provision of relief materials through the zip lines established," it said.
"As an immediate relief to restore connectivity up to Chungthang via alternate route Mangan-Sanklang-Theng- Chungthang, troops of Trishakti Corps are undertaking construction of a bailey bridge at Mangan-Sanklang crossing, 200 metres upstream of where a bamboo bridge and zip line was constructed earlier," it added.
The statement said since the width of the river has increased to 600 feet and water running along two channels with a 160-feet island in between, decision was taken to construct two separate bridges.
"The troops of Trishakti Corps finished construction of the 150-feet-long first bridge on October 22. The second bridge is likely to be completed by October 27," the statement added.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
