Sikkim Earthquake: Sorties to airdrop essentials for quake-hit Dzongu

Gangtok,, Dec 20 (PTI) With the onset of winter, the Sikkim government in coordination with Pawan Hans helicopter service and STDC has begun sorties for airdropping essential commodities to remote areas in September 18 quake-hit Dzongu which still remained inaccessibile. Altogether 18-20 sorties will be carried out for the next three days where choppers will air drop over 3 tonnes of essential commodities to tremor-affected Upper Dzongu in North district, official sources said. The last sorties to airdrop ssentials took place in the area during October, after the calamity. Helicopter pilot Captain RS Brar told PTI that since these areas were still cut-off by road and it was impossible for human porters to carry these essential commodities upto these villages, the only option was to airdrop the essential commodities. A Zilla Panchayat spokesman said "it is a good move and we now want the state government to concentrate on developing the roads, the only lifeline we have got. We tried carrying essential commodities to the tremor-ravaged villages but many porters were injured in the process because of the frequent landslides in the area." PTI COR SUS