Three houses mangled by landslide at Shipgyer in Upper Dzongu

9 FAMILIES DISPLACED; SAFO, SALIM-PAKEL, RAMOM, SHIGPGYER CUT OFF
WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 03 Sept: Nine families have been displaced by a landslide that occurred early in the morning yesterday here at Gyer village which falls under Shipgyer GPU of Dzongu constituency under Chungthang Sub-division, North Sikkim.
The slide tore down from the Marok hill near Tingzang Khola at the village. Locals inform that around 1 AM they heard the sound of boulders and debris falling.
A wooden house belonging to Naktuk Lepcha and an Ekra houses belonging to Tencho Lepcha and Lherap Lepcha have been totally damaged. Six more houses, belonging to Norden Lepcha, Nim Dorjee Lepcha, Namtyot Lepcha, Tshering Lepcha, Thinley Lepcha and Angay Lepcha, have been partially damaged and are at risk as the slide is still active with boulders and debris continuing to fall.
Meanwhile, the villages of Safo, Salim-Pakel, Ramom and Shipgyer have also been cut off by this slide.
The slide also disrupted traffic along Toong-Sangkalang road and SPWD approach road of Toong-Shipgyer, around four kilometres short of Toong Check-Post. Also in the list of damages are a pig and chicken coop belonging to Lherap Lepcha and one cow belonging to Naktuk Lepcha.
Apart from it, the slide has damaged the standing crops and land of these families while materials for CMRHM construction and foundation of the under construction community centre have also been damaged.
“We heard the sound of the slide as soon as it started which was around 1 AM. We immediately came out and saw that there was debris and slush outside our door. Fortunately we managed to escape from the next huge slide”, informed Lherap Lepcha while speaking to NOW!.
He informed that there is more danger, as the jhora below the village has also been washed out which was constructed by the Irrigation Department in 1986.
It is learnt that SDM Chungthang also visited the spot yesterday in order to take stock of damages. Meanwhile, the affected families have been shifted temporarily to safer locations at Ship village.
Panchayat president, Shipgyer GPU informed NOW! that the displaced families have been provided with money under NC fund from the SDM office for shifting. He also said that the earthquake last year had caused some cracks to develop at the starting point of the slide which could have led to this incident.
To assess road damages, SPWD AE, Sonam C Lepcha also visited the spot today and informed that restoration work for the road will start from tomorrow. Traffic will resume within one week, he added.
Meanwhile, the BRO has started the restoration work at Shipgyer-Chungthang road which was blocked by the same slide.