Army repairs river bank breach

Siliguri, July 19: The district administration today called in the army to repair a Mahananda embankment breach that led to flooding in localities a kilometre away, trapping 25,000 residents on Siliguri’s outskirts.

Army personnel from Sukna reached the spot at Milan More and were seen gathering sandbags to guard the neighbouring localities against the river’s fury. Around 25,000 residents are marooned in the localities near the broken embankment.

Within the civic area of Siliguri, nearly half of the 47 wards were under water today.

By late this evening, all 25,000 people had moved to dry areas such as the Champasari Main Road or to flood shelters set up in schools.

“We have sought the Indian Army’s help to repair the portion (of the embankment),” said Siliguri subdivisional officer (SDO) Baibhav Srivastav.

Residents, however, complained that the flood control authorities had been slow to repair the embankment that had developed cracks on the intervening night of July 15 and 16. The North Bengal Flood Control Commission officials visited Milan More only on yesterday morning to plug the gap. Temporary repair work was carried out but the embankment did not hold out in the 171mm rain that Siliguri got between last night and this morning.

On Tuesday, the water had started receding but no repairs were done. “In the past two days it hardly rained. But the state irrigation department was sluggish in repairing the embankment, which is why our homes are under water today,” Gopi Chhetri, a Milan More resident, said.
The marooned residents were rescued by a 35-member team of the civil defence department.
The water of the river went as far as Devidanga bazaar, an area at least a kilometre away from the point at Milan More where the embankment gave way. Water entered Babubhasa, Madhya Palash, Karaibari, Tindharia, Kalabari, Machua, Narmadabagan and parts of ward 46 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

The flooding today also resulted in the death of a youth and a two-year-old boy, the first two cases of monsoon casualties in the town.

Siliguri mayor Gangotri Datta said: “The first incident (of death) was reported at Bagha Jatin Colony.” A youth was standing on the Mahananda bank. Arghyadipa Paul, 24, did not realise that a chunk of mud under his feet had fallen into the river. “He too was swept away,” Datta said.

“In ward 46, in the Dhaknikata area, a two-year-old boy was swept away by rain water when he came out of his hut.” The bodies have been found, the mayor said. The small boy was identified as Ankush Oraon.

Today, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung visited some of the inundated areas of the town. Purba Paraibari and Gulmakhari, two of the mouzas that have been included in the GTA area, have been flooded too.

Though Gurung could not go there, he went to the adjoining areas. He was also seen embracing CPM leader and former minister Asok Bhattacharya. Gurung said: “I have come here to see the status of repair and relief work. It is good to see that the administration has come all out to help the people. Whatever information I have gathered from here, I will pass on to Madam (chief minister Mamata Banerjee).”

He added: “Once the water recedes (and GTA is formed), our focus will be to address the problems faced by the residents here because of the breach in the Mahananda (embankment).”

The Balasan flooded several areas such as Patiramjote and Balasan Colony. According to officials, over 500 families had to shift to drier places.

In Tindharia, a 7m stretch of the boundary wall of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway workshop collapsed last night because of heavy rain.

“Along with the boundary wall, the soil beneath the tracks was also washed away,” a DHR official said.

The 97-year-old workshop was at risk since September last year when 150m of NH55 at Tindharia caved in.

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Sikkim highway slide near border

Gangtok, July 19: A landslide on NH31A near the Bengal-Sikkim border paralysed traffic on the key highway for around eight hours.

According to the Border Roads Organisation chief engineer Brig. Rajiv Sawhney, the landslide happened at Tarkhola, 6km from Rangpo, near the spot where a slide on Tuesday had blocked traffic for 17 hours.

Today’s landslide occurred at 6am. The road was cleared around 2pm.

“We have started the road clearance operation by pressing into service three JCB excavators but as of now, the highway is closed to traffic.” said the BRO official in the morning.

Sawhney said around hundred landslides have been reported along the 95km national highway from Sevoke to Namli in the past one week. The NH31A connects Sikkim with the rest of the country.

“The ongoing road widening work on the national highway is resulting in the frequent landslides. The cutting on the upper portions of the road for widening and the incessant rain is making the soil loose, resulting in the landslides. The road-widening is expected to get over in another six months,” said the BRO official.

According to BRO sources, in the last ten years, the national highway has not seen so many landslides in a week.

According to the meteorological department in Gangtok, the area where the landslides occurred have recorded 65mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Travellers had to take an alternative route which prolonged the usual journey from Siliguri to Gangtok by two hours.

“The slides along NH31A have become unpredictable, we have a buffer stock of the essential commodities stored in case of an emergency which can support people for at least a month,” said a senior official of the state food and civil supplies and consumer affairs department.(TT)

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Gurung pledges hands-on leadership

RAJEEV RAVIDAS
Kumani (Kalimpong), July 19: Bimal Gurung said in his first election rally that was held here today that he wanted to be a “hands-on” administrator once the GTA Sabha is formed.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president arrived here from Siliguri, 70km away, around 4.30pm. Over a thousand party supporters had gathered since 11am despite spells of rain.

The venue of the meeting was seven kilometres from Sibchu where three Morcha supporters were killed in police firing early last year.

In his one-hour speech, Gurung said he would ensure that the GTA would function efficiently and give results.

Not once did he appeal to the people to cast their votes in the favour of the Morcha candidates.

Twenty-eight of the party’s candidates, including Gurung, have already won the elections to the 45-member GTA Sabha uncontested.

“I want to be a hands-on administrator. So far, we had no say in the running of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. Once the GTA is in place, I will be going through and issuing work orders and signing the cheques. Today it is celebration time and I appeal to you all to be happy and bury the zindabads and the murdabads at this time,” he said.

The Morcha president had camped at the forest bungalow in Kumani, about a kilometre from the open ground where the meeting took place today.

On February 8, a few thousand Morcha supporters had tried to march from Kumani to Khunia More led by Gurung. They were stopped by the police at Sibchu, seven kilometres away. But after they tried to force their way in and attacked the police. The police opened fire killing three Morcha supporters, including two women.

Gurung said places like Sibchu should be included in the GTA. “We have given our inputs to the fact-verification committee that is looking into the Justice Shyamal Sen Committee recommendations. Places like Sibchu should be included in the GTA.” there our children have been martyred for our cause, Gurung said. (TT)

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Krishi Vigyan Kendra South Sikkim and NABARD creating milestones for Rural Development and Poverty Elevation.

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, South Sikkim was established in the year 2007 vide memorandum between State Government and ICAR. Since then, the Kendra has been doing its mandated activities as prescribed by ICAR, Zonal Project Directorate, and Zone III which is at Barapani, Shillong, and Meghalaya. Besides the mandated activities the Kendra made proposals to the NABARD for implementing the Bagan Development Project (WADI) considering the Agro-climatic zones which is highly suitable for perennial plantation fruits crops like orange, guava and Nimboo at the low elevation of subsidy.

The WADI programme is a holistic developmental project to create a sustainable livelihood with the “Tree Based Farming System” at its core. Around this core, the programme evolves and shapes into a comprehensive effort that address short term and long term need through variety of components for managing a natural resource and develop diverse source of income as well as help to improve the quality of life.

Doing the comprehensive and holistic programme, it has its own challenges. Some view the programme as horticulture programme, some as agriculture development, some as wasteland development activity, and yet others as social mobilization efforts. The WADI programme has all this and more. However, it is through inter-linkages amongst its various components and the people who are centre-stage that the programme can really create an impact which is synergistically more than the outputs of the individual components.

The Bagan Development Project (WADI) is being implemented in the tribal belts villages of South Sikkim surrounding Namthang covering 400 acres i.e. 400 tribal households beneficiaries namely Lower Kateng Bokrang – 96household, Upper Kateng Bokrang – 50 households, Palitam-Ruchung – 40 households, Kabrey – 80 households, Rabikhola -36 households, Rabitar – 48 households and Manghim 50 households. The total 400 households covering 400 acres were taken up in two phases. In the Ist Phase 150 households were taken up and in the 2nd Phase250 households were covered. The quality fruit seedlings selected and distributed to the farmers are as follows:

1. Guava fruit seedlings: grafted variety Allahabad Safeda, which will start fruiting after two years of plantation.

2. Orange fruit seedlings: variety Sikkim Mandarin, which was procured from Majhitar Government Horticultural farm. Seedlings in poly bags raised in the hi-tech poly house.

3. Nimboo seedlings variety seedless, which is distributed to the lower altitude villages of Makarjong, Rabitar and Kabrey. The fruiting will start after one year under good management and congenial soil and climatic condition.

The project has reached its 3rd year where recently the re-plantation drive of the motile orange, guava and nimboo seedling was distributed.

The role of the PIA, KVK South Sikkim has been providing technical support to the farmers at the field right from the layout of the orchard to the plantation and after cares of maintaining healthy orchard. The WADI programme has the following components: Horticultural components i.e. distribution of fruit seedlings suitable as per the climatic conditions and soil, Soil and Water Conservation component, Community Development component, Women Development Component etc.

With the horticulture tree crops a plan for other farm crops for each village is made by the Kendra, of short and medium term gestation as intercrop. In the previous Rabi season Bagan beneficiaries’ farmers of Kabrey, Rabitar, Rabikhola, Manghim earned addition income by taking up pea cultivation - Prakash variety. NABARD General Manager (GM) Shri. P. C. Chaudhuri has made two visits to the Bagan villages and made interaction with the WADI and JLG farmers of the concerned of the Bagan villages. DDM NABARD (SW) makes monthly visits to the Bagan fields/villages.

The fruits of the Bagan Development Project have already started bearing after two years as Guava fruits var. Allahabad Safeda and Nimboo var. Seedless have already started bearing which has added smiles to the tribal beneficiaries’ farmers of Kateng, Bokrang, Kabrey, Rabitar, Rabikhola and Manghim.

Other Projects initiated by KVK South Sikkim supported by NABARD is the project on System on Rice Intensification (SRI) covering 100 acres and benefitting 152 paddy growing farmers. The important features of SRI are:

1. Water saving – Less water as compare to traditional paddy cultivation is needed in this system.

2. Less amount of seeds i.e. 5-8 kgs is sufficient to cover 2.5 acres.

3. EDGE effect – Planting is done at wider spacing at 25 x 25 cm or more. This keeps border effect to all the plants in the field living to robust growth, larger root and high tillering with long panicles.

4. Pest and Disease control – The SRI plants are healthier and resistant disease and pest.

5. There is significant increase in yield as compared to the traditional practice.

6. Matures early.

KVK South Sikkim has initiated this project in Burul village covering 25 acres, Rabitar Manghim and Rabikhola villages covering 25 acres and Upper Kateng, Lower Kateng (Makarjung) villages covering 25 acres. The nursery bed preparation and transplantation programme has already been completed in the villages. The remaining 25 acres will be covered next year.

I/C Programme Coordinator

KVK South Sikkim

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Bhaichung fan in Team India

Gangtok, July 18: She shares Bhaichung Bhutia’s surname and love for the beautiful game. Nima Lhamu Bhutia, like her idol, will represent the Indian side.

She’s Sikkim’s latest face in the Indian women’s side for the SAFF Cup.

The 20-year-old forward, 5ft 5 inches tall, is training at the SAI centre in Calcutta’s Salt Lake. “I am happy I got selected for the national team and I will give my best,” Nima told the Metro over phone from Calcutta. Nima’s earlier training grounds were at the Women’s Football Academy at Mangalbaria in West Sikkim which was established by a teacher of Mangalbaria Senior Secondary school, Palden Bhutia, in 2005. Nima now works as a government sports teacher at Deythang Junior High School in West Sikkim.

“Nima plays forward and has already represented the state in different national football tournaments and impressed all with her skills,” said coach Palden Bhutia.

In 2010, she was selected for the Under-19 Asian Football Confederation Cup at Dhaka and for an exhibition match at Bahrain in 2011. Coach Palden Bhutia said Nima was hard working and has been able to score at national and international matches.

The South Asian Football Federation Cup will kick off in Sri Lanka on September 1.

Palden Bhutia said Nima’s success has “encouraged” other young girls in the academy to try for the national side.

Menla Ethenpa, the general secretary of Sikkim Football Association, said the All India Football Federation spotted Nima’s skill almost two years back when she represented Sikkim in the National Senior Women Football tournament held in Odisha.“It is indeed a proud moment for the state that a woman football player has once again got the opportunity to represent the country in SAFF,” said Ethenpa.

At least two other women players from Sikkim —Pushpa Chhetri and Anuradha Chhetri — have played for the national side. Asked which player she liked the most, Nima mentioned Bhaichung and Sunil Chhetri, another soccer star from Sikkim. (TT)

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Trinamul call for poll help

Darjeeling, July 18. Trinamul candidates contesting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections have requested senior party leaders, including state and Union ministers, to campaign for them.

“All 17 candidates were called to Calcutta for a meeting chaired by the party’s general secretary and Union railway minister Mukul Roy last evening. During the meeting, we requested senior leaders to campaign for us in the GTA elections,” said Chewang Bhutia, a candidate from Pedong constituency in Kalimpong.

Roy, is said to have told the candidates that the party was keen at sending senior leaders to the Hills to campaign for the elections on July 29. “He, however, said since preparations for the martyr’s day celebration on July 21 was in full swing in Calcutta, the leaders could only come to the Hills after July 23,” Bhutia said.

The 17 candidates have not yet started the campaign but only concentrating on ground work among its sympathisers. “We are yet to hold any public meeting in the Hills but we will definitely hold the meetings soon,” Bhutia added.

The Darjeeling candidates said they were aware the senior ministers might not turn up for all the meetings. “We are planning to hold two major public meetings, one at Kalimpong and the other at Pedong. In these meetings, we are expecting senior leaders to be present,” the leader added.

The Hill Trinamul leaders are hopeful the party’s pointsman for north Bengal, Gautam Deb, would attend the other meetings.

Observers, however, believe Mamata Banerjee might not send his senior leaders to Darjeeling and could ultimately direct Deb to take care of the campaigns so that the party’s ties with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is not severed.

“It is unlikely Mamata will ask senior leaders to come up to campaign in the Hills. She is looking at maintaining a healthy relation with the Morcha so that peace and development can take place. The chief minister will not want to antagonise a party which has in any case got a majority in the GTA sabha,” an observer said.

The Morcha has already won 28 of the 45 GTA sabha seats uncontested.

Before Mamata’s visit to Darjeeling on July 13, Morcha president Bimal Gurung had said “he was hurt” Trinamul was trying to contest the elections and grab power when the chief minister had requested the Morcha to settle for the GTA.(TT)

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Anti-Morcha posters torn

Kalimpong, July 18: Posters rejecting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration put up by an anti-Morcha conglomerate on the first anniversary of the GTA agreement were torn down at Kalimpong by supporters of the hill set-up.

Minutes after the posters condemning the GTA agreement were pasted on the walls around Damber Chowk in the heart of the town in the morning, a group of youths came and removed them.

Some poster that were put up at another location, Ongden Road, a little distance from Damber Chowk, were not removed.

The posters called for the creation of a state of Gorkhaland when the state of Telangana is formed.

The GTF comprising anti-Morcha parties CPRM, ABGL, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh and GNLF-C, however, did not lodge any police complaint. “This (the tearing down of posters) does not surprise us, given the undemocratic atmosphere prevalent in the hills. I do not want to take names, but this exposes the fear of those taking part in the GTA elections,” said Munish Tamang, the GTF secretary. (TT)

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Bagdogra College strike call

Siliguri, July 16: The Chhatra Parishad has called an indefinite strike in Bagdogra College from today demanding the admission of over 1,000 students who have not been admitted to any institution yet.

“We had requested the authorities to accommodate all students before the admission process (to the UG courses) was over. But they took no action leaving us with no other option but to shut down the institution. We will not let the authorities resume activities until our demand is met,” said Ronald Dey, the Darjeeling district secretary of the CP.

The college has 1,282 seats for BA, BCom and BSc honours and pass courses. The admission process was completed on Friday and the college has taken in 1,282 students. However, 1,145 applicants are yet to get admissions.

“We received 3,400 applications but could not admit all as there are 1,282 seats in the college. There are 1,145 students who have not been admitted in our college or any institution (under NBU). The CP has called a strike demanding that we admit them. But we cannot admit more than the allotted seats. We can only request the North Bengal University and the administrative officials to solve the crisis,” said a member of the admission committee.

Bagdogra College has around 3,000 students.

“The college is preferred by students from the hills, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri who wish to study in Siliguri but fail to secure admission in Siliguri College or Surya Sen College. It has adequate infrastructure to accommodate more students. We will continue our agitation until the college admits all the students who have applied,” Dey said.
(TT)

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Couple die as car skids off highway

Kalimpong, July 16: An executive engineer of the Northeast Frontier Railway and a woman, who police assumes was his wife, were killed when the car they were travelling in skidded of NH31A and rolled down almost 300 feet below at Reang near Rambi today.

The driver of the car has suffered injuries and has been taken to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, 40km away.

Kalimpong police said NFR official Debojit Bordoloi, 53, was travelling towards Siliguri from Sikkim when the accident occurred.

“We could identify the deceased person from some documents we found on him. He is a resident of Mangaldoi in Darang district of Assam. We are yet to ascertain the name of the deceased woman but we are assuming that she was his wife and the couple were going to Siliguri after getting their daughter admitted to the Sikkim Manipal University,” said a police officer.

He added that the couple were travelling in a Hyundai Santro that had a Bengal registration and the car had been hired from New Jalpaiguri or Siliguri. The accident took place around 4.15pm.

“NFR officials have informed us that they are sending a team to the Rambi primary health centre where both the bodies have been kept,” he said.

Rambi is 30km from here.

According to the police, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a bend on the highway.

“It could be the result of over speeding. The car fell about 300-350 feet below the road. When we reached the spot we found the couple dead and the driver was badly injured and unconscious,” said the officer.

Sikkim landlslides

A portion of North Sikkim Highway between Chungthang and Mangan was washed away in a landslide barely 48 hours after the road was cleared of slush and debris that came down the hill slopes on Friday.

“A major landslide has occurred near Lanthey Khola, 10km from Mangan, on Sunday night,” said a source from the Border Roads Organisation in Mangan, the North district headquarters of Sikkim.

A half-kilometre stretch on the highway has been washed away.

According to the Met office in Gangtok, Mangan recorded 116mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. “Rainfall ranging between 65mm and 124mm falls under the heavy rainfall category, which can trigger landslides,” said assistant metereologist Michael Das.

Sources said people were crossing the affected stretch on foot and boarding vehicles thereafter. “There have been no reports of tourists getting stranded,” an official said.

According to BRO sources, it may take a couple of days to restore the road.

A landslide had occurred on the same stretch on Friday after which the highway had been shut. The road was opened on Saturday morning.

Sikkim’s only road link to the rest of the country was blocked for almost two hours today after three landslides at Suntaley near Loha Pool.

Police sources said the landslides occurred around 3am and it took almost six hours for the BRO to open one side of NH31A. Almost 200 vehicles plying towards Sikkim and Kalimpong were stranded.


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meeting of SDF Trade Cell

RANGPO-16 JULY 12
Sikkim democratic front trade cell of Rangpo branch meeting was held yesterday under the president ship of Mr. Rajendra mangla president west Pandam unit of trade cell .according to mr mohammad Khalid publicity secretary central committee of trade cell traders and businessman attended in the meeting specially discussed regarding the developmental activities of the area and indrakil prayag project .the meeting has given special thanks to the ruling party and chief minister Mr. Pawan kumar chamling for taking positive innitiaves in developing of Rangpo and indrakil project. the meeting specially discussed regarding the programme telecasted in star plus satyamev jayate where Sikkim was highly highlighted by the channel and amir khan .the meeting special giving all credit to the leader Mr. chamling has decided to meet with him on 28th July Rangpo visit and also has decided to special thanks on behalf of Rangpo traders and trade cell members.

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construction create dispute in mining

RANGPO-16 JULY 12
The huge dispute is created between the youths of mining and Rangpo nagar Panchayat regarding the work of construction of cemented floor in Rangpo mining secondary school pray(prathna) ground .according to the news said school has several time requested to make possibility for cementing the prey ground .Rangpo nagar Panchayat taking initiatives has passed the proposal but has not discussed and pass regarding the expense for the construction and to whom the work has to sanctioned .but suddenly two weeks ago the work started .mining youth has objected the work started and has complained with the Rangpo nagar Panchayat president Mr. nirmal khati .Mr. khati informed youth that no such type of work is sanctioned or started just has passed the resolution to construct .but this correspondent has also visited the area and has found that work is doing rapidly .according to the norms any type of work to be start in gram Panchayat or nagar Panchayat has to be first discussed in the meeting and resolution has to pass regarding the amount and grant of work to anyone but in this case it is cleared by the statement of Rangpo nagar president Mr. nirmal khati that no any type of resolution has been passed regarding the amount or work to be sanctioned .it is suspected that the fund collected from the residents of Rangpo is misused by the officers recruited by the urban development and housing department for running Rangpo nagar Panchayat or the officers has totally ignored that they has to do work according to the elected representatives .in other side mining youth also informed that in the name of one cooperative society the government officers is doing contract in the said work .such type of policy of Rangpo nagar Panchayat may create the negative images of the state government too .

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3 injured in Sikkim landslides

Gangtok, July 15: Three persons were injured and 30 houses damaged in multiple landslides across West Sikkim this morning.

At Soreng, three members of a family were injured and their house was damaged in a landslide that occurred around 6.30am. The injured were, Pabitra Subba, 35, her sister Deepika, 18, and son Aditya, 10. Pabitra and Deepika have suffered have been been referred to Gangtok hospital.

The first mudslide occurred around 4.30am at Labing Gerathang, 10km from Tashiding. “Sixteen houses have been partially damaged in the landslide. As a precautionary measure, 26 families have been shifted to a nearby ICDS centre and schools,” district collectorate (West) Shanta Pradhan said over phone.

Three houses were damaged at Khechoepalri when boulders hit the structures.

“Four families in Arithang whose houses are near Tashiding river have been shifted to a nearby school as the river has swollen up,” said Pradhan.

He added that almost 30 houses have been damaged in mudslides across the district.

A landslide hit Jawaharlal Nehru Marg that leads to Nathu-la at 17th Mile last evening.

“The landslide occurred at 7.30pm and 700 metre of the road has been filled with debris. The restoration work is in full swing and the road will be opened for light vehicles by Tuesday,” said the Border Roads Organisation’s chief engineer Rajiv Sawhney.

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