Gangtok (PTI): The rescue operations in North Sikkim ended on Wednesday with the evacuation of the remaining 158 stranded tourists, a senior official said.
Mangan District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri said that all the 1,447 stranded tourists have been evacuated in the last three days. A total of 1,225 tourists were rescued on Tuesday and 64 on Monday.
"With the rescue of 158 tourists on the third and final day of the operation, we have evacuated all the 1,447 stranded tourists," he said.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said that the 1,447 tourists have been sent back to their respective destinations.
"The incessant rainfall from June 12-14, 2024, caused by a cloudburst in North Sikkim, had left a total of 1,447 tourists stranded in Mangan district... All of them have now been successfully evacuated and sent back to their respective destinations through extensive rescue operations," he said.
The CM thanked all those who were involved in the rescue operation and to the tourists for their patience during the challenging time.
Chettri said the tourists, who were holed up in Lachung for several days, were evacuated to Mangan town via Chungthang.
Most of the tourists were transported to state capital Gangtok in vehicles provided by the transport department, Chettri said.
Besides the district administration and police, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, Travel Agents' Association of Sikkim (TAAS), local panchayats and volunteers were involved in the rescue operation.
Mangan district is known for popular tourist spots like Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley.
At least six people have been killed in Sikkim due to landslides triggered by heavy rain over the last few days. The natural calamity has also damaged properties and disrupted power and food supplies and mobile networks in several areas, officials said.
Around 1,500 tourists, including some foreigners, were stranded in Lachung town due to the landslides.
The road network in Mangan district has become severely damaged, with the district magistrate ordering the closure of schools in 10 clusters of Mangan and Dzongu blocks till further orders.
The Border Roads Organisation has been working to clear the roads and restore connectivity.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.