Sikkim Flash Floods: Schools to Remain Closed till October 8 Due to Cloudburst-Inspire To Hire

Schools in several districts of Sikkim will remain closed till October 8 due to a cloudburst in Singtam in the aftermath of the flash floods that hit the state recently. The state government has taken the decision to temporarily close all government and private schools keeping in mind the safety of the children. Schools will remain closed in several districts including Gangtok, Pakyong, Namchi, and Mangan districts, according to a local daily.

According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, cloudburst in portions of Lhonak Lake has caused the rise of water levels in the Teesta River in the early hours of Wednesday that has damaged many establishments in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi districts. The National Disaster Management Authority has stated that the primary reason for the sudden surge is likely due to a combination of excess rainfall and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood or GLOF event at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim.

Following the cloudburst, a total of 23 soldiers of the Indian Army went missing over Sikkim’s Lhonak Lake on Wednesday. One out of the 23 Army personnel missing has been rescued, the Army said. The cloud burst also triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River in Lachen Valley. Due to flooding in Muguthang, two permanent bridges have been completely damaged at Dikchu and Toong. BRO Karamyogis rescued locals from the area and the administration has set up a number of relief camps, where hundreds are taking shelter.

One of the ISRO centres, National Remote Sensing Centre conducted a satellite-based study on the outburst of the South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim by obtaining temporal satellite images over the water body. It observed that the Lake had burst and about 105 hectares of area had been drained out which might have led to a flash flood downstream, the ISRO said in a statement. A flood alert has also been issued for North Bengal and Bangladesh through which the Teesta flows.