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.