Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved release of both installments of Central share of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim, amounting to ₹44.80 crore in advance, for the year 2023-24, to help the State in providing relief measures to people affected by the flash floods in the State.
The toll in the flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 21 on Friday as Army and NDRF teams worked their way through slushy earth and fast flowing water in the Teesta river basin and downstream north Bengal for the third day in search of those who were swept away and are still missing, officials said.
To make an assessment of damages caused due to a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), cloud burst and flash floods, the Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will visit the affected areas of the State shortly, the ministry announced.
Based on the assessment of IMCT, further additional Central assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim will be approved, as per laid down procedure.
A total of 103 people, including the 15 Army soldiers, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood.
The flood has affected normal life in the districts of Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur and Purulia.
At the moment, 9,215 people have taken shelter in 191 relief camps in the northern and southern districts of Bengal.
