GANGTOK: On October 4, 2023, Sikkim was ravaged by devastating floods triggered by the South Lhonak Lake, where the collapse of a moraine led to a flash flood. This same flood caused the collapse of the Teesta Stage 3 dam in Chungthang, further increasing the volume of the flood and resulting in the deaths of almost 92 individuals, including over 20 Army personnel.
Sikkim commemorated the one-year anniversary of the disaster as State Disaster Risk Reduction Day in Gangtok, with Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay in attendance.
The government has claimed that last year’s disaster was triggered by a ‘cloudburst’ instead of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), with GLOF-related damages securing only Rs. 500 crore as an insurance claim for the State. In contrast, a cloudburst would ensure 100 percent compensation, and the State has declared Rs. 3,600 crore as part of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment submitted to the Union Government.
The Chief Minister responded to the claims, stating, “Yes, the disaster was triggered by a ‘cloudburst’, which the government has also notified. We are unsure which will secure more funds for the State, but whatever the truth is, we have submitted it to the central government.”
On October 1, Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved Rs. 23 crore for Sikkim as a central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and advance funds from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The Chief Minister remarked, “The Rs. 23 crore for the State is for the study of lakes and mitigation; it is not enough. Once the report on the vulnerability of the lakes is completed, only then will the work begin. We have submitted a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment worth Rs. 3,600 crore, and it remains the prerogative of the central government to allocate these funds. This assessment was made by both the central and state governments.”
Regarding the State still not receiving the Special Financial Assistance for GLOF, which was promised by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget speech earlier this year, the Sikkim CM said, “The announcement has already been made, but it’s not the Rs. 23 crore that was approved; it should come separately.”
The CM, in his speech, assured that the disaster victims have received the necessary settlements. “All the relief that can be provided by the State government has been given. For the Punar Awas Yojana (resettlement), we have identified and allotted land to the victims. We will be constructing homes for them, and all the announcements that have been made will be acted upon.”
The State had sent a multidisciplinary team to study the threat of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood from other vulnerable lakes in North Sikkim for two weeks starting September 1. The Chief Minister shared, “We are awaiting the final report. Once it is ready, we will make it public.”
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