GANGTOK, June 18: An emergency meeting was held at the conference hall of Tashiling Secretariat here today deliberate on the string of natural calamities hitting Gangtok and its surrounding areas vis-à-vis the dramatic rise in the number of high-rise buildings in unsafe and unstable areas and also the ways and means to mitigate the escalating problems.
The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of DD Bhutia, Minister for UD& HD, was also attended by the Chief Secretary, ND Chingappa, Additional Chief Secretary, representatives of line Departments such as Power, PWD, UD&HD, PHE, RMDD, NBCC, along with the Superintendent of Police, ADC, and members from the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce.
Expressing his deep concern over the string of recent landslides at Amdo Golai here, Mr. Bhutia directed the Town Planning wing of UD&HD to stop all construction works being carried out in Gangtok and its surrounding areas till the end of the Monsoon season. He said that immediate action should be taken on those who violate the regulations. It was also decided that all construction materials and debris dumped in the either sides of the roads should be immediately cleared by the concerned department under the supervision of the Police.
The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of DD Bhutia, Minister for UD& HD, was also attended by the Chief Secretary, ND Chingappa, Additional Chief Secretary, representatives of line Departments such as Power, PWD, UD&HD, PHE, RMDD, NBCC, along with the Superintendent of Police, ADC, and members from the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce.
Expressing his deep concern over the string of recent landslides at Amdo Golai here, Mr. Bhutia directed the Town Planning wing of UD&HD to stop all construction works being carried out in Gangtok and its surrounding areas till the end of the Monsoon season. He said that immediate action should be taken on those who violate the regulations. It was also decided that all construction materials and debris dumped in the either sides of the roads should be immediately cleared by the concerned department under the supervision of the Police.
It was revealed during the meeting that 76 buildings located at MG Marg here had undergone illegal expansion works in the back portion area, resulting in encroachment of the area for drains and its subsequent blockage which has led to waste flowing out of the drains. Mr. Bhutia ordered immediate demolition of such constructions, which were hampering the drainage system posing a great threat for the entire people residing in the lower belts of the Capital.The meeting decided to undertake a joint inspection on June 19 from Baluwakahani to Ranipool. The team will comprise the representatives from BSNL, Nayuma Television, Power Department, NBCC and other Departmental officials. It was also decided to systematize the various cable networks running across the Capital, which is also giving a shabby look to the town.
Mr. Bhutia also directed the Assistant District Collector to submit the report of all the unauthorized constructions in Gangtok. The monitoring team also submitted the report of recent landslide to the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister during the meeting.
