WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 25 Sept: The monsoons have not been kind to North Sikkim and have been especially harsh on the road infrastructure. While most of the district is cut off at present, the woes for Lachung have been more persistent. Its road disrupted since the earthquake last year, in the latest instance, the road to Lachung has been closed more often than open since a massive slide tore away a 150 metre section at Khedum, a few kilometres short of Lachung, on 06 August 2012. While BRO had managed to repair the road a month later, it did not hold for long and transhipment was the only option available here for most times.
Now, with the road to Chungthang beset with more than 36 major and minor slides, the people of Lachung are a worried lot because even transhipment is no longer an option.
The biggest worry of the people is with regard to medical emergencies. Several residents, while speaking to NOW! today, pointed out that Lachung has many senior citizens in residence and as is a challenge of their advanced years, most are in frail health. Given the condition of the roads, taking them out of Lachung in the event of a medical emergency is now impossible.
The residents accept that the roads throughout the district have been devastated and highlight that what they urgently require at present are better medical facilities at Lachung itself. The village has a Primary Health Sub Centre which has a prescribed strength of one nurse. Given the inaccessibility of Lachung to better healthcare facilities, the villagers have appealed for the deployment of at least one doctor for the village.
Apart from this worry, the residents also share that while adequate stocks of essential items have been maintained, they have begun facing shortage of vegetables, LPG and Kerosene. It may be mentioned here that officials state that the road to Lachung will take at least another 20 days to restore.
MANGAN, 25 Sept: The monsoons have not been kind to North Sikkim and have been especially harsh on the road infrastructure. While most of the district is cut off at present, the woes for Lachung have been more persistent. Its road disrupted since the earthquake last year, in the latest instance, the road to Lachung has been closed more often than open since a massive slide tore away a 150 metre section at Khedum, a few kilometres short of Lachung, on 06 August 2012. While BRO had managed to repair the road a month later, it did not hold for long and transhipment was the only option available here for most times.
Now, with the road to Chungthang beset with more than 36 major and minor slides, the people of Lachung are a worried lot because even transhipment is no longer an option.
The biggest worry of the people is with regard to medical emergencies. Several residents, while speaking to NOW! today, pointed out that Lachung has many senior citizens in residence and as is a challenge of their advanced years, most are in frail health. Given the condition of the roads, taking them out of Lachung in the event of a medical emergency is now impossible.
The residents accept that the roads throughout the district have been devastated and highlight that what they urgently require at present are better medical facilities at Lachung itself. The village has a Primary Health Sub Centre which has a prescribed strength of one nurse. Given the inaccessibility of Lachung to better healthcare facilities, the villagers have appealed for the deployment of at least one doctor for the village.
Apart from this worry, the residents also share that while adequate stocks of essential items have been maintained, they have begun facing shortage of vegetables, LPG and Kerosene. It may be mentioned here that officials state that the road to Lachung will take at least another 20 days to restore.
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