Sikkim became India’s first fully organic state in 2016

TIL Desk/National/Gangtok/ 2016 turned out to be a great year for Sikkim as it became India’s first fully organic state besides being adjudged the cleanest state, overall best in education and tourist destination while the famed Kanchenjunga National Park was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land were gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National Programme for Organic Production. It took the state 13 years to fully implement organic farming since the idea was mooted way back in 2003.

2016 also saw the Pawan Chamling government amending the state gambling and casino rules banning all locals from entering casinos in the state starting July. Kanchenjunga National Park in West Sikkim was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site by the world heritage site committee at its 40th session held on July 17 at Istanbul.

August was a dampener after a freak landslide blocked a portion of Kanka river, a tributary of river Teesta in North Sikkim’s Dzongu which created an artificial lake submerging five houses and affecting hundreds of families in the area.