Sikkim CM requests people to keep away from travel amid massive landslide

Saturday, October 23, 2021

On Thursday, Prem Singh Tamang, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, has requested the people not to travel because of the landslides. During this Durga puja vacation, the state registered a record tourist footfall.

In the last week, more than 22,000 domestic tourists and 651 foreign travellers visited Sikkim. The officials of the Tourism Department confirmed the same.

Every day, an average of 5,000 tourists are coming to Sikkim, they said, mentioning that it would soon get doubled.
This rise was recorded after the state government removed all restrictions related to Covid and reopened its borders.
The government adopted several measures this festive season that would help encourage tourism to compensate for the financial loss it experienced in 2020. Last year, the two-month lockdown during the peak season caused loss of approximately 500-700 crore, officials said.

Almost a quarter of the population of Sikkim is tourism dependent which generates 4,000-5,000 crore annual revenue, they said.

In the last few days, as landslides hit the state, road connectivity got severed to many places, the chief minister requested people to keep away from travelling for the time being.

“In the past couple of days, Sikkim has witnessed incessant rainfall, leading to landslides in several parts of the state, causing roadblocks at multiple spots. I am in constant touch with the line departments and closely monitoring the current situation,” Tamang said.

“In order to avoid any untoward incident, I appeal to all our citizens to refrain from travelling in these circumstances, and pray for their safety,” he added.

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