DARJEELING: Incessant rainfall triggered landslides on the National Highway 10, the lifeline of Sikkim.
This resulted in the NH10 remaining closed from 8:30 am on Tuesday. One way traffic resumed at around 3 pm with serpentine jams on both sides of the landslides.
Heavy rainfall on Monday night resulted in a landslide at Birikdanra on the NH10 at around 8:30 am on Tuesday. Traffic came to a standstill. Another landslide occurred at 29th Mile at around 1:30 pm.
Earth movers were pressed into service so that movement of vehicles could take place. At around 3:30 pm the debris was cleared and the road was opened, on a single side, for vehicular traffic. "One-way traffic has resumed but it is very slow. The diversion routes through Lava-Gorubathan and Teesta-Peshok are clear.
Travel should be avoided unless necessary," stated Aparajita Rai, SP, Kalimpong.
In the past month the NH10 has been closed thrice due to landslides.
In another incident, the Chartorsa diversion at Falakata was washed away, cutting off the road link between Falakata and Alipurduar. On Monday, with the river in spate, water was flowing over the bridge. With rains increasing, a section of the diversion was washed away, cutting off the road
link between Falakata and Alipurduar. No vehicles could ply on Tuesday.