Sikkim's Disaster Warriors Shine: SSDMA Wins National Award for Life-Saving Heroics!
Sikkim's Disaster Warriors Shine: SSDMA Wins National Award for Life-Saving Heroics!
Gangtok (IPR), 23 Jan : In a proud moment for Sikkim, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has scooped up the prestigious Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026 in the institutional category. This honor comes for their incredible work during the devastating 2016 Mantam landslide and the 2023 Teesta floods.What stood out was SSDMA's lightning-fast action and smart use of resources, which rescued an astounding 2,563 lives and kept property damage low in the Mangan and Pakyong areas. They also got big cheers for building community strength through the Aapda Mitra volunteer network, focusing on preventing disasters at the grassroots level.Out of 271 entries from all over India, SSDMA rose to the top. The award judges excellence in saving lives, cutting down disaster impacts, training people, innovative tech, and long-term toughness against risks.Launched by the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, this prize drops every January 23—Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday—to celebrate top-notch disaster handling.Since kicking off in 2005, SSDMA has beefed up Sikkim's readiness by training 1,185 Aapda Mitras right down to villages, blocks, panchayats, and districts across all six districts. This has boosted local involvement and made communities tougher against disasters and climate shifts.Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang gave a huge shoutout to SSDMA for putting Sikkim on the map, praising their sharp response to recent calamities and ongoing risk-fighting efforts. He thanked the Relief Commissioner, SSDMA Director, district teams, panchayats, civil defense folks, quick-response squads, volunteers, and community groups—plus all Sikkim residents for pitching in during drills and real crises.The Relief Commissioner (also Secretary for Land Revenue and Disaster Management) and SSDMA Director shared heartfelt thanks for the teamwork during the Mantam Lake landslide and flood control ops. They highlighted key support from NDRF, SDRF, other departments, and partners in ramping up preparedness, quick reactions, and skill-building statewide.
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