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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Chungthang sub-division posts earthquake damage at 1,160 houses

MANGAN, 10 Oct: The Chungthang sub-division [comprising of Chungthang, Lachen and Lachung] which received the most devastating impact of the 18 September earthquake and where people continue to be traumatised by the experience has posted number of houses damaged by the earthquake at 1,160. As per the data put together by the SDM Chunthang’s office thus far, 270 of these 1,160 damaged houses have completely collapsed. In Lachen 56 of the 379 affected houses have suffered complete damage and in the 394 houses damaged in Lachung, 63 have suffered multiple damage.
The SDM Chungthang, Tashi Chopel, while speaking to NOW! informed that electricity supply is being drawn from Mangan now since the earlier sources from Rabong Chu Hydel Project in Lachen and Lachung Chu Hydel project of 3 MW each have been damaged by the earthquake. In the initial days since the earthquake, the sub-division was in complete black-out.
Power supply to the main town streets and relief camps was restored by Power & Energy Department engineers within a couple of days through a generator. This arrangement has provided a single bulb connection to all the houses.  SREDA has also provided 50 solar lamps which are still in use in the town, he adds.
Meanwhile, work is underway to restore the generation at the Lachen and Lachung hydel projects as well, he adds.
On the dismantling of the collapsed houses, the SDM informs that the concerned experts have already arrived in Sikkim and that the demolition/ dismantling of houses beyond repair and those posing a threat to surrounding buildings will be undertaken as per their report. The residents of such houses have already been evacuated to safer locations. 
About the stocks of essential commodities, the SDM reassured that adequate stocks were in place and that there was no danger of stocks running out.
The SDM also expressed gratitude towards all panchayats, pipons and the officers of the Sub Division and NGOs like Red Cross Society of India which have been involved in the relief and rescue operations in the area.
Meanwhile, regular traffic to Chungthang has not still been restored and essential commodities and people are being ferried through Teesta Urja’s Adit III tunnel at Shipgyer and the Adit II Tunnel at Theng covering a 4 km distance in the tunnel.  
The road to Lachen will take another 15 days to restore while the road to Lachung from Chungthang will take at least a month to open since around 600 feet stretch of the road formation has been washed away near Maltin a few kilometres short of Lachung and several other slides are under restoration.

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