News Analysis India

Tag: Sikkim

  • Sikkim government to provide Rs 20,000 each to all non-working mothers: CM Prem Singh Tamang

    By PTI

    GANGTOK: The Sikkim government will give Rs 20,000 each to all non-working mothers and free sanitary napkins to all girl students of class 9 and above in the state, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has said.

    Addressing a function at Melli on Friday, the CM announced that the state government will implement the ‘Aama Yojna’ for non-working mothers and Bahini scheme for girl students.

    Under the ‘Aama Yojna’ scheme all non-working mothers in the state will receive Rs 20,000 each annually in their bank accounts, Tamang said, adding that only those whose names are in the electoral roll of the state will get the money.

    He said the scheme will be implemented from this year and all the required formalities for the efficient implementation of the scheme was under process.

    The CM said a sum of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked in the budget for the scheme and hoped that it will inculcate the habit of saving among non-working mothers.

    In the ‘Bahini’ scheme the state government will provide free sanitary napkins to girl students studying in class 9 and above.

    Over 18,000 girl students study in class 9 and above in the state.

    The state government also plans to establish sanitary napkin vending machines in schools and also increase awareness and sensitisation programmes about menstrual health and hygiene, he added.

  • Sikkim sees record tourist footfall, CM Prem Singh Tamang urges people not to travel amid landslides

    By PTI

    GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Thursday urged the people not to travel in view of the landslides as the state registered a record tourist footfall during the Durga puja vacation.

    Over 22,000 domestic tourists and 651 foreign travellers visited the state over the last week, Tourism Department officials said.

    An average of 5,000 tourists are entering Sikkim daily at present, they said, adding that it would soon double.

    The surge was recorded after the state government withdrew all COVID-related restrictions and reopened its borders.

    The government took several measures to encourage tourism this festive season to make up for the financial hit it took last year.

    The two-month lockdown during the peak season last year caused an estimated loss of Rs 500-700 crore, officials said.

    Nearly a quarter of the state’s population is dependent on tourism, which generates annual revenue of Rs 4,000-5,000 crore, they said.

    However, as landslides hit the state over the last three days, cutting road connectivity to several places, the chief minister urged people to avoid travelling.

    “In the past couple of days, Sikkim has witnessed incessant rainfall, leading to landslides in several parts of the state, causing roadblocks at multiple spots.

    I am in constant touch with the line departments and closely monitoring the current situation,” Tamang said.

    “In order to avoid any untoward incident, I appeal to all our citizens to refrain from travelling in these circumstances, and pray for their safety,” he added.

    Sikkim’s lifeline National Highway 10 is at present blocked with kilometre-long traffic waiting for the road to be cleared, officials said.

    Vehicles are being diverted through narrower and longer alternate routes at present, they said.

    The rains have caused severe damage to crops with paddy plantations destroyed in several parts of the state, officials said.

  • Death toll due to rainfall rises to 52 in Uttarakhand; rain fury in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Sikkim

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Six more bodies were recovered on Wednesday in rain-battered Uttarakhand, taking the death toll to 52 in the Himalayan state, while Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and areas of north Bengal were also pounded by torrential rainfall that caused landslides and led to closure of National Highway 10, the main road linking Gangtok with the rest of the country.

    Three people were killed and hundreds marooned as heavy rains lashed Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly and Pilibhit districts over the last two days.

    In Uttarakhand, 17 people were injured and five went missing in rain-related incidents.

    The official count of missing people does not include a trekking team of 11, who left Uttarkashi but did not reach their destination Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, and three porters who went missing while accompanying an ITBP patrol near the India-China border.

    ALSO READ: Situation still serious in flood-hit Uttarakhand, says Rahul Gandhi

    The Kumaon region of the state, which has been worst affected by the rainfall, also reported cases of 46 houses being damaged.

    With 28 deaths, Nainital alone has accounted for the highest number of fatalities.

    Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his tour of the affected areas of Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts in Kumaon to take stock of the situation.

    He travelled by road as his helicopter could not take off from Haldwani due to technical reasons.

    Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Defence and Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt and State Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, Dhami, on board a tractor, crossed vast stretches of marooned fields in Udham Singh Nagar district and assessed the damage to crops.

    ALSO READ: Rain-hit Uttarakhand stares at damages beyond repair

    He also trudged through the streets of Champawat to get a first-hand assessment of the damage inflicted by nearly three days of incessant rains.

    Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to arrive in the state late on Wednesday night to review the situation.

    He may also undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas on Thursday morning, officials said.

    The weather cleared across Uttarakhand on Wednesday, giving momentum to rescue operations and leading to the partial resumption of the Chardham Yatra, with pilgrims allowed to proceed to Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

    However, the yatra to Badrinath could not be resumed as the national highway leading to the temple was blocked by landslide at several points.

    ALSO READ: Experts explain what is causing heavy rains that killed dozens in Uttarakhand, Kerala over few days

    Water has receded completely from the streets of Nainital, which was cut off from the rest of the state on Monday, with the Naini lake flooding the roads and landslides choking them at various points.

    Life returned to normal in Nainital on Wednesday morning as tourists were found shopping and taxis plying through the town.

    Electricity and telephone connectivity which had been badly hit in Nainital by incessant rains has been restored.

    Villages on the outskirts of the town are still going without electricity and telephone connectivity.

    Haldwani and Kaladhungi roads have been opened partially to traffic restoring connectivity to Nainital.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand government to give Rs 4 lakh to kin of those killed in rain-related incidents

    The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has rescued over 1,300 people from flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand.

    The federal force has deployed 17 rescue teams in the state.

    Torrential rains pounded the tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim and the tea growing region of North Bengal, causing landslides which cut off National Highway-10.

    Normal life in parts of north Bengal was affected due to heavy showers in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts that triggered landslides, causing damages to roads and bridges, halting or constricting traffic in various places.

    As the downpour continued, 3,800 cusec water was released from Bengal’s Gajaoldoba Teesta Barrage, causing inundation in several parts of the low lying town of Jalpaiguri.

    ALSO READ: Over 300 people rescued from flood-affected Uttarakhand – NDRF

    Water from the overflowing Teesta also submerged National Highway 10 that connects Siliguri with Sikkim’s capital Gangtok at Teesta Bazar area, restricting traffic.

    The Meteorological Department issued a ‘red’ alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar, forecasting “extremely heavy rain at one or two places” in these districts till Thursday morning.

    Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain during the period, it said.

    Several low-lying areas in Jalpaiguri district have been flooded owing to a rise in the water level of Teesta and Jaldhaka rivers.

    People from these areas were being moved to safe places for shelter.

    WATCH VIDEO: River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday visited the flood-affected areas in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and distributed relief material among the people.

    Instead of an aerial survey, Naqvi undertook a ground survey and even got on a boat to reach far-flung areas inundated due to the massive rains that have wreaked havoc in adjoining Uttarakhand.

    In Uttar Pradesh, around 500 villagers in Pilibhit are trapped in the flood water of the Sharda river.

    A couple in Bareilly’s Faridpur township and a nine-year-old boy in Ram Nagar area were killed after their houses collapsed because of heavy rains.

    The IMD, which had sounded an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for 11 districts of Kerela on Wednesday withdrew it and changed it to yellow predicting ‘moderate rain’ in these areas.

  • Sikkim declares ‘Katley’ as state fish

    By PTI

    GANGTOK:  The Sikkim government has declared ‘Cooper Mahseer’ locally named ‘Katley’ as the state fish, an official of the Fisheries department said.

    The official said the state government has declared Neolissochilus hexagonolepis commonly known as Copper Mahseer and locally named as ‘Katley’ as a state fish to highlight the importance of the fish and to give emphasis to its conservation measures.

    “In Sikkim, Katley is found in varied altitudes covering entire state predominantly confined in Teesta and Rangit rivers and their tributaries.

    In the year 1992, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow had categorized Katley fish as endangered species.

    Later on, in the year 2014 the fish was also categorized as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature),” said Additional Director of the Directorate of Fisheries, C S Rai.

    The fish has high market value and is highly preferred by the public in the state.

    The official said the Sikkim government has also declared the reservoirs of the state to be open for fishing activities.

    License shall be issued by the Directorate of Fisheries to the interested individual fishermen or fishermen co-operative societies or SHGs for fishing in the reservoirs in accordance with the existing provisions under the Sikkim Fisheries Rules, 1990, he said.

    The reservoirs are in Chungthang in North Sikkim, Legshep in West Sikkim along with Dikchu and Rorathang in East Sikkim.

  • Indian Army, Chinese PLA establish new hotline in Sikkim

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Amidst the environment of tension along the Line of Actual Control the Armies of India and China got a new telecommunication hotline link on Sunday which has been established in Sikkim and Tibet Autonomous Region.

    “A new hotline was established between Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders. The event coincided with the PLA Day on 01 Aug 2021,” the Army said.

    The inauguration was attended by ground commanders of the respective Armies and a message of friendship and harmony was exchanged through the Hotline, Indian Army added.

    The Armed forces of the two countries have well-established mechanisms for communication at ground commander level. This is the sixth Hotline with two in Eastern Ladakh, two in Sikkim and two in Arunachal Pradesh.

    The other five hotlines are established along the meeting points at the LAC which are five in total at Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) and Chushul in Eastern Ladakh, Nathu La in Sikkim, and at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh.

    As the Army said, these hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing communication and maintaining peace and tranquillity at the borders.

    As reported earlier by this paper with the prevailing standoffs at eastern Ladakh since May 2020, there has been an increase in the communication between the PLA and the Indian Army in order to resolve the protracted tensions along the LAC which led to deadly duels in Galwan which claimed lives on both sides.

    Other than talks at the various levels, the hotline was used extensively. There have been frantic talks which used to be up to five hotline calls in a day. “The Hot Line talks between May 2020 and till July have been 1450 times.” said an official.

    There have been 12 meetings between the Corps Commanders (Senior Higher Military Commander Level: SCML), 10 between the Division Commanders (Higher Military Commander Level: HCML) and 55 Delegation Level (Sector Commanders or Brigadier Level).

    Both the armies have troops deployed in standoff mode at Hotspring, Gogra, Depsang and Demchok. Disengagement took place at Galwan and from both the North and South Bank of Pangong Lake.

    The last Corps Commander level talks were held on July 31 the details of which are yet to be known.

  • Sikkim logs 237 new COVID-19 cases, 2 fresh fatalities

    By PTI
    GANGTOK: Sikkim’s COVID-19 tally soared to 26,548 on Saturday as 237 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the Himalayan state’s coronavirus death toll to 344, a health bulletin said.

    East Sikkim district registered the highest number of new cases at 127, followed by South Sikkim (66) and West Sikkim (44).

    The Himalayan state now has 3,400 active cases, while 22,535 people have recovered from the disease and 269 patients have migrated to other states thus far, it said. The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stands at 85.7 per cent.

    Sikkim has tested over 2 lakh samples for COVID-19 thus far, including 1,806 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said, adding that the positivity rate stands at 13.1 per cent.

  • Sikkim reports 179 new COVID-19 cases, five more fatalities

    By PTI
    GANGTOK: Sikkim reported 179 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 26,311, a health department bulletin said on Friday.

    The state reported five more coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 342, it said.

    Sikkim now has 3,302 active cases, while 269 others have migrated to other states, and 22,398 people have recovered from the infection.

    South Sikkim district registered 79 new cases, followed by East Sikkim (65), West Sikkim (34) and North Sikkim (1).

    The state has tested 1,487 samples for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of samples tested thus far to 1,98,882. The state’s positivity rate has come down to 12 per cent from 16 per cent on Thursday.

    The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state has marginally improved to 86 per cent from 85.9 per cent on Thursday.

  • COVID-19: Fully vaccinated tourists can now visit Sikkim from Monday

    By PTI
    GANGTOK: People who have taken both doses of the COVID vaccine can now visit Sikkim from July 5 as the state government on Sunday lifted the temporary ban on the entry of visitors from other parts of the country following a dip in fresh coronavirus cases.

    The Sikkim government had prohibited the entry of tourists since March this year following a surge in COVID-19 cases.

    The state Home Department, in a notification, said that fully vaccinated tourists can enter the Himalayan state through Rangpo in East Sikkim and Melli in South Sikkim after exhibiting their vaccination certificates at the border check-gates.

    The state government also allowed hotels, guest houses and homestays to operate at 50 per cent capacity from Monday with strict adherence to COVID protocols.

    Shopping malls, showrooms and shops have also been allowed to open at full capacity with strict compliance with safety guidelines.

    All government offices can function with fully vaccinated employees, while staffers who have not yet received both the jabs can work with the present arrangement of 50 per cent attendance, the notification said.

    All factories and commercial establishments can also operate at 100 per cent capacity provided the staffers are fully vaccinated, it said.

    “The Sikkim Hotel and Restaurant Association (SHRA) welcomes the state government’s decision to open the tourism industry, which is the mainstay of Sikkim’s economy. We will ensure strict adherence to COVID guidelines,” an executive member of the body told PTI.

    He claimed that the state’s tourism industry bore a loss of around Rs 600 crores last year due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

    A total of 21,131 people have tested positive for the infection in the Himalayan state so far, of whom 2,101 are undergoing treatment, while 18,469 have recovered from the disease, 308 have succumbed to the infection and 253 have migrated to other states till Sunday, a health department bulletin said.

  • Sikkim reports 340 new COVID-19 cases, five more fatalities

    By PTI
    Sikkim’s COVID-19 caseload has mounted to 17,111 after reporting 340 new infections in the past 24 hours, a health department bulletin said on Sunday.

    The Himalayan state has reported five more coronavirus deaths, taking the toll to 273, it said.

    Sikkim at present has 4,306 active cases, 236 others have migrated out of the state, while 12,296 patients have recovered from the disease.

    Of the new cases, East Sikkim registered 123 infections, followed by South Sikkim (117), West Sikkim (98), and North Sikkim (2).

    The state has tested 2,548 samples for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours to take the total number of tests done to 1,35,818.

  • Earthquake of 5.4 magnitude strikes Sikkim

    By PTI
    GANGTOK: An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude hit Sikkim on Monday night, the National Centre for Seismology said.

    The quake occurred at 8.49 pm at a depth of 10 km near the India-Bhutan border.

    People got frightened and rushed out of their houses but no loss of life or property has been reported so far, an official said.