Overflowing Rangit river cause havoc in Legship

KUSH HANG LEEWANG
GEYZING: Increase in water level due to incessant rain of Wednesday night has wreaked havoc at different areas along the Rangitriver in West Sikkim. Thecontinuous heavy rainfall and flash flood caused Rangitto expand its flowing route, swallowing lands along the course of the river.
The river water entered the bottom floor of the famous Kirateshwar temple of Legship and caused a significant damage. An electric pole installed on the temple premises has been uprooted by the flash flood snapping the electricity supply to temple. Two bridges constructed side by side for accessing the temple also face the risk of a collapse due to erosion of soil by the intense flow of river Rangit.
B.B. Limboo, working president of ManavSewaSamiti (Legship), informed that the water level in Rangitriver had risen to such an extremity that entire Kirateshwar temple was in risk of being swept away. He said the premises of the temple would be assessed and necessary renovation work would be initiated by the managing committee of the temple.
The rise in water level also led to evacuation of families with houses nearby the river.
“In my whole life I had not witnessed Rangitflowing with such turbulent and violent force. The water level had gone up so high that the residents were really scared for their safety. We spent a scary night,” a local resident said.
People opine that if rainfall continues, more damages along Rangitriver cannot be denied.
Falling of trees along the banks of Rangitriverdue to soil erosion, landslides and mud slips have become rampant since yesterday due to continuous rainfall and situations may go precarious if rain continues in coming days.
Similarly, a stone crusher plant set up by Badri Kumar Chettri at Ghumaauro in West Sikkim has been swept away by Rangitriver leaving only the vibrator machine at the site. He has lost all the machines installed at the plant along with an excavator machine in the flood. The river in its expansion process due to increased water flow swallowed almost six acres of Chettri's lands located along the river belt.
Chettrisaid he hassuffered loss of almost Rs. 15crore in the flood.
“I request for a proper verification of the losses I have faced from the administration due to this natural calamity and I anticipate some help from the concerned department,” he added.
Nearto the stone crusher plant, a public ground has also been completely damaged in the flood with 70% of the area swept away by the river. It was further informed that a family residing near the ground lost their two pigs and five goats in the flood.
The flash flood has also caused a partial damage to the famous hot spring located near Reshi adding to woes of the locals who are dependent upon the hot spring for seasonal entrepreneurship.
Due to constant mud slips and shooting boulders at various juncture of Geyzing-Jorethang roadespecially during on-going rainy season, travelling has become precarious and risky.