All government and private schools, colleges, and universities in Sikkim will remain closed till October 15 due to the prevalence of inclement weather, as per a revised circular by the state Education Department on Thursday.
Sikkim Flash Floods: All government and private schools, colleges, and universities in Sikkim will remain closed till October 15 due to the prevalence of inclement weather, as per a revised circular by the state Education Department on Thursday, PTI reported. The circular comes within hours of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang’s directive for the closure of schools, colleges and universities in Sikkim till further notice due to the unprecedented disaster caused by flash floods in the Teesta river basin.
At least 22 people, including seven army jawans, have been killed while 103 others remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood. Earlier, the Education Department had ordered the closure of government and private schools till October 8, 2023.
Following a directive from Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will visit the affected areas of Sikkim soon to make an assessment of the damage caused due to a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst and flash flood, according to an official statement. The home minister has approved the release of both the instalments of the SDRF’s central share to Sikkim, amounting to Rs 44.8 crore, in advance for 2023-24 to help the northeastern state provide relief to the affected people, the statement said, PTI reported.
The Centre has assured the Sikkim government of all possible help. The central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is standing shoulder to shoulder with Sikkim, the statement said. Based on the IMCT’s assessment, additional central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will be approved for Sikkim, in accordance with the laid-down procedure.
The flash flood in the Teesta River, triggered by the cloudburst in Lhonak Lake, caused accumulation of huge quantity of water, which turned towards Chungthang Dam destroying the power infrastructure before moving downstream in spate flooding towns and villages. Search for the missing people is underway, while the administration and the defence forces are making efforts to escort stranded tourists to safety.
(With PTI Inputs)