A vital lifeline connecting Sikkim with West Bengal, National Highway-10, has been brought to a standstill by a series of tenacious landslides and rockfalls. The disruption, which began Friday morning at 11 AM, has completely halted vehicular movement on the stretch between Rangpo in Sikkim and Sevoke in West Bengal, leaving commuters stranded and impacting trade.
The primary point of concern is Birik Dara in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district, where continuous slides of earth and rocks have rendered the highway impassable. Officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) have confirmed the closure, with their Siliguri office stating that a full complement of machinery has been deployed to tackle the daunting task of clearance. However, the relentless showering of fresh debris is significantly impeding the operation, making it a challenging and drawn-out affair.
Travellers are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution and seek real-time updates before embarking on any journeys along this route. NHIDCL assures the public that they are actively monitoring the volatile situation and will issue further advisories as the clearance work inches forward, with hopes of reopening the road within the next 24 hours.
Also read: Assam Minister Atul Bora Dismisses Bajali Demarcation Interference Claims