We’re with you, PM tells Sikkimese
Gangtok, Oct 1: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Sikkimese people were not alone in their hour of crisis and the entire nation stood by them. He added that all possible help will be extended in rebuilding the lives of the people of Sikkim
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today announced Rs. 1000 crore from the Centre to meet the requirement of relief and rehabilitation in Sikkim
The Prime Minister on his visit to the State on Thursday made an aerial recce of North Sikkim and other parts of the State. After this, a meeting took place at the Katoch Hall in the Libing Cantonment with the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, the State Government administration, representatives of the Army, NDRF and other armed forces.
During the meeting the Chief Secretary made a Power Point Presentation on the destruction and damages caused by the quake. Thereafter, the Chief Minister also presented Memorandum of Relief under National Calamity ot the Prime Minister.
While addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister gave full assurance to the State by the Government of India. He suggested that relief and rehabilitation of quake victims should get utmost importance. Expert team on Earthquake Resistant Technology would be sent by the Central Government to assist the State in rebuilding its infrastructure, the Prime Minister added. Restoration and expansion of road network should be of highest priority.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the damages caused to schools, drinking water supply, flood control works, minor irrigation channels etc. Restoration of National monuments and religious institutions will also get priority. Other demands will also be considered favourably by the Government of India.
The Prime Minister announced an interim relief fund of Rs.1000 crores for immediate restoration and relief works of infrastructure. He expressed his heartfelt sadness at the destruction caused by the recent earthquake.
Assuring the people of Sikkim that the Sikkimese people were not alone but that the whole country stood by them in this hour of crisis, he added that all possible help will be extended in rebuilding the lives of the people of Sikkim
He also advised the State Government to learn from its experience by using proper building technology and building bye laws, so as to be better prepared for future occurrences of earthquakes. In fact, he urged the Chief Minister to make Sikkim
The Prime Minister visited the earthquake victims undergoing treatment here at Sir Tashi Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital.
Observer News Service
Gangtok, Oct 1: The earthquake that rattled Sikkim more than a week ago also left a trail of devastation across the border in Tibet
According to an assessment here, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has also suffered losses with its garrison at Yatung (Chumbi Valley ) in Tibet , barely 40 kilometres away from Sikkim
Chumbipas living in the State also confirmed reports of death and destruction caused by the earthquake at places such as Phari, Galingkha and Kargyu monastery.
Reports hint that troops from the Yatung garrison were involved in a massive rescue and relief operation in the region. Independent reports suggest that at least 2,000 soldiers were taking part in the relief operation though the exact number of casualties in the area could not be ascertained.
Yatung has been one of the areas worst affected by the earthquake, with communication lines in the area having snapped completely. Seven persons were reportedly killed in the area by the recent earthquake.
Probe quake impact on dam sites, Centre tells seismic experts
Observer News Service
The Sikkim earthquake has raised questions on the future of India India
At least 118 people have been killed in Sikkim , West Bengal and Bihar in the quake.
Teesta Urja Ltd, which is building the 1,200MW Teesta-III project in Sikkim
The decision to take IIT-R’s help was taken at a review meeting last Thursday that was chaired by minister of state (power ministry) K.C. Venugopal, the report said.
“It was decided to avail the services of seismic experts from IIT-R to analyse earthquake data and conduct the earthquake impact study at the dam sites of NHPC in the region, and more specifically those in Sikkim
BJP raps govt on quake delay, hails army & BRO on relief efforts
Observer News Service
Gangtok, Oct 1: The State unit of the BJP has blamed the State Government for its inept handling of the recent devastating earthquake in the State which has led to loss of many lives and caused extensive damages all over the State.
“During our visit, we found that only the Border Roads Organization and Army personnel were engaged throughout for rescue and other relief assistance. They were even providing food and shelter to the affected people,” said BJP State
The Sikkim BJP chief who toured north Sikkim , the worst affected region with senior party leaders from Delhi
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Tapir Gao, said the high-level team has placed its report before the party high command.
The report said :“It will certainly take months to reconstruct the road and bridges. There is no guarantee that the communications will be restored to their original position.”
The report accused the State Government for failing take timely action to help quake victims: “It is also unfortunate that the Central and State Governments have not been able to provide requisite relief and assistance to the affected and the needy people living and surviving in the remote areas. For instance, essential commodities and medicines are not provided in those areas even after a week had passed.”
The report added: “There are plenty of relief materials, personnel and equipments; but we found that there was no coordination and cooperation among the State, Central and other Voluntary Organizations. In fact we found that there was confusion among them. The officers connected with Disaster Management appeared to be unaware of their duties and responsibilities. Consequently, as stated above, there was no coordination in providing relief materials, rescue operation for the affected citizens.”
The report said “The first and foremost duty of public servants engaged in providing relief to the distressed people shall be to allocate definite works - such as evacuation, medical assistance, food and shelter etc. - to the concerned employees with specific time frame prescribed according to the Relief Manual and relevant Guidelines.”
The BJP wants the Central Disaster Management Team “be pressed into service for providing relief and rescue operations on a war footing. We suggest that two to three helicopters should be immediately engaged on daily basis to evacuate the affected persons from Dzongu, Chungthang, Lachen and Lachung.”
SIBLAC demands suspension of all hydel projects
HILL MEDIA Network
Gangtok, Oct 1: The Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) has demanded suspension of all activities relating to hydro electric power projects in the State till the submission of a report by an experts committee on the issue.
This was decided during a meeting of the organization held here this week where several local social activists participated.
SIBLAC has decided to constitute a People’s Forum on Earthquake to assess damages caused to affected areas of North Sikkim during the recent earthquake.
A 10-member Fact Finding Committee (FFC) headed by SIBLAC Convenor Tseten Tashi Bhutia has been constituted to assess quake damages in the tribal-dominated region of North Sikkim bordering Tibet and Nepal
During its meeting SIBLAC also formed a drafting committee headed by Prof. Hem Lal Bhandari and three lawyers. The FFC is likely to visit earthquake affected areas of North Sikkim district and submit its report to the Union Government and others, according to a press release of the organization.
During the meeting the members demanded constitution of an Independent High Powered Committee by the Union Government headed by retired Chief Justice of Supreme Court and that should comprise of experts in the field of seismology, structured engineering and geological science.
SIBLAC, an umbrella organization of the indigenous Bhutia-Lepcha tribals, said holy scriptures of Sikkimese Buddhism had already warned of the devastating destruction to the land and its people if the sacred and holy land was defiled. It said the authorities, due to greed for money and lust for power, failed to heed the warning.
To introspect on what went wrong, SIBLAC convened a meeting of concerned citizens and members of civil society here on Thursday which saw the participation of Prof. Hemlal Bhandari, professor and senior lawyer, Bharat Basnet, President of SAFE, Navin Kiran Pradhan, President, ASEUA, Prem Goyal, President, Nagarik Suraksha Sangathan, Dr. Doma T Bhutia, senior lawyer and a human rights activist, S.P.Subba, retired civil servant, Jangpo Sherpa, Supreme Court advocate, Dawa Lepcha, General Secretary, ACT, Pabitra Bhandari, senior journalist, Sonam Bhutia, Co-ordinator, NAAS, Gayching Bhutia, Advisor, Rongong Youth Club, Kamal Chamling “Kamrange’, an eminent writer, Jigme W. Bhutia, advocate, and Punya Prasad Koirala, senior journalist.
Scrap hydel projects, save Sikkim: Bhandari
Gangtok, Oct 1: Former Chief Minister and State Congress chief Nar Bahadur Bhandari has warned the Centre to scrap all hydel projects in the State if it wants “Sikkim
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Bhandari said the Sikkimese people want a “rethink” on all mega hydel projects in the State.
While demanding immediate scrapping of all hydel projects, seen as a big threat to Sikkim
The Congress chief has also accused the State Government of flouting national guidelines and not floating tenders for allotment of power projects to private parties. These irregularities must be probed by the Central agencies, Bhandari said in the letter.
He pointed out that in the past scientists, experts, geologists and seismologist have advised against mega hydel projects in the State but this has been conveniently overlooked by the authorities.
“This is just the beginning of the end of Sikkim
'Sikkim
Professor Jeta Sankrityayan, former member State Planning Board, West Bengal and also a member of the landslide expert committee 1998, has opined that the presence of multiple dams on the river Teesta and its tributaries could either induce or accelerate earthquakes.
“In early 1970 a major earthquake in Maharashtra had been triggered by the Koyna dam located on the Sahyadri Hills. Though the role of the dams on the River Teesta in the recent quake is yet to be studied, the earthquake could have been induced or accelerated by the dams (dam induced seismicity )” feels Sankrityayan.
The committee on landslides, which had also studied the tectonic plate movement, had handed over recommendations to the government of West Bengal in 2000. The committee had recommended that no constructions should be allowed on the rivers.
The Central government’s “master vision” identifies the North-Eastern region as “India Sikkim
Around 35 hydel power projects have been identified in this region with the Teesta Low Dam (TLD) project being the most prominent. The TLD project, harnesses the Teesta river, which originates in Sikkim and flows through North Bengal , creates a 332 MW capacity split into four stages.
The first two stages for a total of 100 MW are in Sikkim , while stage III of 100 MW and stage four of 132 MW are in West Bengal .
“It is very unfortunate that the Government does not pay heed to recommendations of its own committee for which the public have to suffer. Something more devastating can happen any day. It is time the public woke up and pressurized the Government to act more reasonably. Electricity in lieu of lives is not a very human option” added Sankrityayan.
The Himalayas are a young chain of mountains formed by the Indian tectonic plate colliding with the Eurasian plate.
While the river Teesta flows in a north-south direction, the Himalayan fault lines lie in the east west direction.
“A major fault line is located at Kalijhora (considered the best location to study Himalayan fault lines) and Teesta Low Dam Stage 4 is located at Kalijhora” stated Sankrityayan.
Explaining dam induced seismicity, Sankrityayan stated that owing to the dams checking the flow of the river, the water becomes heavy and starts going down, usually seeping into crevasse.
“Water being a new element in the faults and crevasses in the mountain, the mountain starts adjusting which causes the seismic movements” stated Sankrityayan. The very flow of Teesta is an indicator of the fault line.
While in Sikkim the Teesta flows is curves (zig zag) after Teesta Bazar in West Bengal it flows in a straight line which suggests that it could be flowing along fault line in West Bengal .
“Very few earthquake movements are in a North-South direction but the 6.8 magnitude quake which hit Sikkim Mount Kanchenjunga
“It took a mere two seconds for the earthquake to reach North Bengal University
“A full scale inspection and study should be conducted by geologists and earth scientists into the recent quake and on the dam induced seismicity. It should be an independent probe not influenced by the Government. We should not be accelerating or bringing in such natural events otherwise we will definitely have to pay a dear price” suggested the Professor. (The Hindustan Times)
Observer News Service
"There is nothing surprising in this earthquake as the region north of Sikkim, which forms the outliers of Tibetan tectonics, is known for moderate earthquakes in the past," C.P. Rajendran at the Indian Institute of Science here told IANS.
But what makes it different is its "unusually greater magnitude".
These earthquakes are different in the sense they are along the somewhat north-south structures trending transverse to the east-west Himalayan axis, Rajendran said. They are different from the usual Himalayan thrust earthquakes that are caused by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate.
Vineet Gahaulat at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad said: "The (Sikkim ) earthquake highlights the presence of the role of transverse features in the Himalayas ."
"This 6.9 magnitude earthquake possibly occurred on a northwest-southeast trending almost vertical fault through strike slip motion."
"This is what we generally do not expect in the Himalayas ," Gahaulat said. "We expect large magnitude earthquakes on the detachment having thrust motion on gently dipping planes - like the 1999 Chamoli and 1991 Uttarkashi earthquakes."
Gahaulat said the role of transverse features in segmenting the Himalayan arc and accommodating some of the convergence of the India-Eurasia plates have been talked about earlier.
"But this one (Sikkim quake) makes it clearer as this is possibly the largest magnitude earthquake of this type in the Himalayas ."
Gahaulat is also surprised at the fewer number of aftershocks - only two to three aftershocks of magnitude greater than 4.5. "So where are all the aftershocks gone? Are they yet to occur in the following days," he asked.
According to Gahaulat, "we need to be careful" if, in the coming days, the aftershocks occur southeast of the main shock epicentre - the way two aftershocks have occurred.
"The region where the main shock occurred has very low population density, but further southeast, population density is higher," he cautioned.
"The occurrence of this earthquake does not lower down the threat from the great earthquake which we expect in the Himalayas ," the NGRI scientist warned.
The one (or more) which is expected will be a thrust type earthquake on the detachment which will be much more devastating than this one, he said.
"We need to treat each and every earthquake in a special way, you just need to turn it around and it will tell a somewhat different story."
Rajendran, however, does not think this particular event in Sikkim
"Having said that, the fact remains that some historically earthquake-deficient parts of the Himalayas has the potential to generate large earthquakes any time, irrespective of the present earthquake," he cautioned.
PERSPECTIVE
9/18 Earthquake: Wake-up call for all Sikkimese
By Deyang Dolkar Gyatso
This article is dedicated to my Beloved Uncle Late Yab Tashi Tobgay Tobden (01.12.1948 - 06.04.2009) and Aunt Late Chum Chukie Tobden Wakjilingpa (28.11.1954-06.04.2009)…mentor, friend, confidant … guardian angels, who taught me how unique and precious Sikkim
It has been said that whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, and I know that this stands true for every Sikkimese since that frightfully, petrifying episode of an earthquake (6-9 Richter Scale, Sept 18, 2011) that jolted the otherwise composed place that we call home – SIKKIM.
The finest part of it all, however, is that everyone is chipping in to do their bit…and it just doesn’t get better than this. I only wish the people, who I know and who really cared about Sikkim Sikkim
After much thought and a little bit of looking deeper within I couldn’t help but notice how blessed the place really is. Let me explain myself and see if you can help me make sense of the statement I just made.
Here’s a brief background history of Sikkim that I have borrowed and would love for all to read, discuss, question, answer, argue, portray, accept, reject, represent – but above all be conscious of so we all recognise how special and unique this place really is… so that we all know where we’ve come from… so we all have a sense of belonging… so we know how much is really at stake.
Ghangchhen mZod Nga, the main protector deity of Sikkim , identified as Mount Ghangchhen – mZod – Nga (Kanchenjunga ) is blessed by Guru Rinpoche. In Sikkim , this sacred mountain peak surrounded by hundreds and thousands of other peaks, lakes, rocks, trees/groves and meadows are regarded as the abodes of local deities of Sikkim Holy Land .
At the four directions of Tashiding, four holy caves blessed by Guru Rinpoche are located. In the middle period, Terton Rigzing Goedemchen (1337- 1408) located and blessed this hidden land. The later period commenced with the advent of the Naljor Chedshi in the middle of the 17th century AD as per Guru Rinpoche’s prophesy. The modern history of Sikkim dates back to the 17th century when three incarnates of Guru Rinpoche – Lhatsun Namkha Jigme, Kathok Rigzing Kuntu Zangpo and Gnadak Sempa Phuntsog Rigzing – enthroned the first Chogyal (Dharma King), Phuntsog Namgyal at Norbugang, Yuksam in West Sikkim .
Records reveal that Phuntsog Namgyal assumed the seat of Dharma King in 1642 AD. The main consecration at Yuksam took place in 1646. Till that period, the hidden land was under the charge of Mon Thekongsalang, a Lepcha chief blessed by Guru Rinpoche as ‘Nadak’ (protector of the holy land). The evidence of these historic facts in existence are the foot prints and body marks of Guru Rinpoche on rocks and in holy caves and the stone coronation throne at Yuksam. Other evidences are the foot prints of Gyalwa Lhatsun Chenpo at Yuksam Norbugang and seat of Mon Thekongsalang at Thrakthungrong in West Sikkim .
Dejong Nayyik gives the description of Sikkim
Naysol Pecha, another book written by Gyalwa Lhatsun Chenpo, is a prayer text describing the whole range of Sikkim
For me, it made sense that since we, as followers of Guru Rinpoche, cannot seem to take care of our precious inheritance so unique to Sikkim, and/or go about important religious ceremonies in a slap-dash way. Maybe we deserved what we got. In fact – call me a cynic – but I would’ve actually expected it sooner.
Now, on to the monasteries, especially those that have been affected by the devastating earthquake. The most holy chhorten (stupa) in Sikkim
The legendary Bhumchhu event is held at Tashiding annually on the fifteenth day of the first lunar calendar. It might not be out of place to mention here that the Holy Water to fill the vase for the Bhumchhu is collected from Rothongchu river in West Sikkim .
The oldest monastery in Sikkim Sikkim
It is said that Pemiongchi monastery, meaning “the sublime perfect lotus”, was designed, if not actually built, by Gyalwa Lhatsun Chenpo as a high class monastery for ta-sang (“pure monks”) of pure lhopo race, celibate and undeformed. Significantly, only the monks of Pemiongchi monastery in Sikkim enjoy the title of ta-sang and to its lamas is reserved the honour of anointing with holy waters the reigning Sovereign, meaning only the Pemiongchi monks are entitled to consecrate the Chogyals of Sikkim.
The Enchey Monastery, meaning the “high strong place”, was built in 1840. Folklore has it that a famous Lama Dubthob Karpu flew from Mainam, in Yangang (south Sikkim
So maybe – just maybe – this (9/18 quake) is a wake-up call for us all to remind us how special Beyul Denjong truly is and how much is really at stake here. Let this event not be some fairy-tale, some grandma’s tale a hundred years down the line but a reality like it feels to me even today, in spite of all the scepticism that might surround it. Every Sikkimese has the right to know our history, the way it has been told from time immemorial, the way I have known it myself and the way we can tell it to the future generations. (HILL MEDIA Network)
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