The Sikkim Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (Sikkim Milk Union) on Wednesday extended a helping hand to the flood-affected dairy farmers of Lingmoo-Payong and Lingee-Sokpay GPUs under the Tumin-Lingee Constituency.
The incessant rainfall caused massive flash floods across the region, severely damaging roads, agricultural land, and public infrastructure.
Several connecting bridges were washed away, cutting off villages from the rest of the district and disrupting normal life.
The affected area is predominantly dependent on dairy farming, with hundreds of families earning their livelihood by supplying milk to Sikkim Milk Union.
However, the damaged road network and disrupted connectivity have severely affected the daily collection and transportation of milk, creating immense hardship and uncertainty for dairy farmers.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, a team from Sikkim Milk Union, led by its managing director, Dr. T. B. Ghatani, visited the affected villages at Sokpey Maidam to assess the ground situation and extend immediate support to the farming community.
As part of the relief initiative, the Union distributed one bag of cattle feed and one packet of area-specific mineral mixture to each of the 234 dairy farmer members belonging to six dairy cooperative societies—Lomochangey, Sokpey-Maidam, Green Village, Darakharka, Kaw and Payong.
The total value of the relief assistance distributed amounted to Rs 4,66,300. A brief counselling and interaction programme was also conducted to encourage the farmers and assure them of the Union’s continued support.
Officials said that although the relief assistance might not fully compensate for the losses suffered owing to the disaster, it provided timely assistance and, more importantly, much-needed moral support to the affected families.
