32 No. residents accuse pharma company of dumping untreated effluents into Rani Khola

GANGTOK, 02 Dec: A section of the people from 32 Mile between Ranipool and Singtam along NH 31A, have alleged that Torrent Pharmaceutical Company based in their area has been dumping untreated waste chemicals into Rani Khola. This, they contend, the company was doing in secrecy at night. Claiming that they have videographed evidence of this unauthorized dumping, they also alleged that despite having brought the issue to the notice of the State Pollution Control Board, Sikkim, some months back, they are yet to see any action being taken or corrective measure adopted.

Surging Rani Khola damages eight houses at Singtam

GANGTOK, 06 June: Heavy overnight downpour, recorded at 118 mm over Gangtok on Sunday night, inundated the East district with a slew of slides and damages, and apart from damage to public and private property, also caused one fatality [in Lower Samdong, read accompanying report].
The district authorities were kept busy through the day today as its officials rushed from one affected location to the other.
Apart from the one death, a substantial hit was taken by Singtam where eight houses were damaged due to increase in the water level of the Rani Khola there. The site was visited by the SDM [East] Dr AB Karki and his team along with officials from the Irrigation Department.

Rani Khola surges in Singtam, imperils houses

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
SINGTAM, 24 May:  Rani Khola, swollen by heavy rain received by it in its course below Gangtok, surged as it reached Singtam [near its confluence with the Teesta] and tore away the protection wall erected along its banks below Singtam’s Lall Bazaar Khola-Line on Monday night. The damaged protection wall has left around 25 houses exposed to danger. The residents rushed out of their homes when sections of the protection wall were sliced away by the river at around 9 p.m.
Gangtok SDM, Dr. AB Karki, who had visited the site last night, was on the spot again this morning accompanied by officials from the Irrigation Department and directed the immediate construction of a temporary protective wall here.
The area MLA, Am Prasad Sharma, also visited the area this morning and informed that reinforcement of the protective wall had been sanctioned recently but had not been undertaken due to arrival of the rains which makes such works impossible.
Although the situation was less worrying after the rainfall abated today, if the Rani Khola surges again, it could cause substantial damage.

Gangtok learns what 8cm of water can wreak

A van seen through the floor of a garage which caved in at Indira
Byepass on Monday night taking the van along.

The slide below a power sub-station right above the iron bridge at Indira Byepass

The landslide below the power substation exposed a new cave, blocked the jhora 

The sewage lines servicing Gangtok gurgled on to the roads on Monday night and required
the collective efforts of UD&HD personnel to unclog the next morning

SAGAR CHHETRI
GANGTOK, 24 May: Heavy overnight downpour had Gangtok and its surrounding areas waking up to a rash of landslides today. IT is still only pre-monsoon showers, but enough to imperil houses in the capital, put another set in Singtam at risk and strand commuters on NH 31A for up to 4 hours last night.
The heavy rainfall triggered many small and big landslides damaging property and causing threat to many residents in the Upper Sichey area of Gangtok, which were inspected by the Gangtok Mayor, KN Topgay, Upper Sichey Councilor, NB Chettri and SDM [East], Dr AB Karki early this morning.  
The retaining wall of a private garage belonging to MB Thapa on Bye-Pass road at Upper Sichey caved into the jhora along side, taking along with a van kept inside it for repairs. It is informed that the neighbours were able to take out other vehicles kept in the garage.