The district administration of Kalimpong has done away with diversions and will allow traffic on National Highway 10 with certain restrictions. Following heavy rains on March 21, traffic was restricted from plying in the boulder falling zone in Likhuveer keeping in mind the safety of the commuters. However, with requests from transport associations and following a survey of the area, the National Highway has been opened to traffic but with certain restrictions.
Incidentally, the NH 10 connects the state of Sikkim with the plains of Bengal and is a lifeline for the Himalayan state of Sikkim. “Following appeals by different transport associations of the district to open up the NH 10, a joint survey was conducted by transport officials, PWD, police and the Disaster Management officials of the Kalimpong district on April 25 to assess the feasibility of plying vehicles along NH 10. Finally it has been decided to open the road for vehicular movement but with certain restrictions,” stated Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate, Kalimpong. The order dated March 27 stated that there will be no restrictions regarding movement of small vehicles along NH 10. Buses will ply through NH 10 from 6 am to 6 pm until further order. Single lane traffic has to be maintained at Likhuveer and Rabi Jhora on NH 10.
Goods vehicles will move from Chitrey-Kalimpong town- Algarah- Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice-versa from 9 pm to 6 am. The other route for goods vehicles is Reshi-Pedong-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice-versa round-the-clock. Necessary restrictions at Rangpoo Checkpost, Chitrey and at district border on the NH 10 stretch shall be imposed by the police for facilitating the route diversions, added the order.
Meanwhile Raju Bista, MP, Darjeeling wrote a letter to Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of Road, Transport and Highways, seeking his intervention in the NH 10 issue. “Given that the NH 10 is a critical road, which connects the border regions of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Dooars and Sikkim to the rest of India, shutting down of this road poses grave national security risk as well. It is for these reasons that I have earlier requested that the portion of NH 10 , still under the control of WBPWD, NH Division be taken over by the NHAI or NHIDCL to ensure timely repair and development of this critical road,”
stated the letter.