Darjeeling: National Highway (NH) 10, the lifeline of Sikkim, could open up for mini buses in the first week of December.
However, the PWD has not given clearance for heavy vehicles.
With the road closed to heavy vehicles for more than one-and-a-half months since the devastating Teesta flash flood on October 4, there have been demands from different quarters to speed up repair works and open up the road for heavy vehicles, especially goods vehicles.
NH 10 connects Sikkim to the plains of Bengal. A flash flood in the Teesta on October 4 resulted in a trail of destruction in Sikkim and Hills of Bengal. The NH10, a large stretch of which runs along the banks of the Teesta was badly affected and was shut for traffic. On October 22, the NH10 was partially opened for light vehicles from 6 am to 6 pm.
“The PWD is targeting the first week of December to open NH 10 to mini buses and other forms of public transport. The PWD has not given clearance for heavy vehicles. The delay in repairs is owing to technical reasons. In many places the river had changed course while in others, the damaged stretch was too narrow,” stated T Balasubramanian, District Magistrate, Kalimpong while talking to Millennium Post.
Different organisations have urged the agencies to speed up repair work and open up the road to heavy vehicles. The Kalimpong District Truck Drivers Union sent deputations to the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and the PWD. In the memorandum to the authorities they stated that the trucks are facing a lot of problems as they are not being allowed on NH10. Owing to the detours, the distance has increased resulting in high fuel consumption and less earning, taking a toll on livelihood, claimed the memorandums.
“There is a lack of manpower and machines for the repair work. If this type of work continues it will take more than a year,” stated the memorandums, urging to speed up work. Incidentally, the PWD had undertaken major stretches of the repair work with NHIDCL repairing a 3 km stretch.
Incidentally Raju Bista, MP from the Darjeeling Constituency has written to Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Road, Transport and Highways, seeking his intervention in the delay in repair of NH 10.