Siliguri, July 20 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Road connectivity between Sikkim, Kalimpong, and the rest of the country remained disrupted for the second day on Saturday after a landslide blocked National Highway 10.
The landslide occurred on Friday at Birikdara, about 35 km from Siliguri, bringing traffic along the key route to a complete standstill.
“The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is working at the site to restore the road connectivity by removing the debris. Excavators and workers have been engaged at the spot, but the continuous fall of mud, boulders and rubble is affecting the work,” said an official of the Kalimpong district administration.
On Friday, another landslide hit Paparkheti in the Gorubathan block of Kalimpong district, disrupting traffic on the alternative route to Kalimpong and Sikkim. This route had been used by vehicles after NH10 was shut down, leaving commuters with no clear way through.
Debris from the landslide was cleared on Saturday morning, officials said.
According to sources in the district administration, an advisory was issued urging vehicles to use alternative routes. These include the Siliguri–Jorebungalow–Teesta Bazar–Rangpo–Gangtok route. Other options are via Sevoke–Damdim–Gorubathan–Lava–Algarah–Rangpo, or through Sevoke–Bagrakot–Lava–Algarah–Rangpo.
Meanwhile, traffic remained backed up along NH10 throughout Saturday, with a long queue of stranded vehicles. Some commuters tried to bypass the blockage via the Latpanchar route, which led to further congestion.
“We have suggested that the vehicles take these alternate routes to reach Sikkim and Kalimpong from Siliguri and vice versa. The work for removing the debris is in progress. Until the boulders and debris stop descending on the road, the road cannot be reopened. Also, it is risky to travel through the stretch in such a situation,” the source added.
Monsoonal rain continued to lash sub-Himalayan Bengal on Saturday, with showers reported in several areas across both the hills and the plains.
“The weather conditions are likely to remain similar for the next one or two days,” said a weather expert.
