Gangtok: Sikkim’s unrelenting monsoon has wreaked havoc in the remote reaches of Yuksom in Gyalshing district, with two crucial wooden bridges swept away by landslides and surging rivers on July 10. The destruction has effectively severed vital lifelines, leaving residents and security personnel in a precarious state of isolation.
The first casualty was the bridge connecting Chhangri Basti and Dhoban, succumbing to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall over the past 24 hours. This initial collapse immediately raised alarms among officials, highlighting the severe disruption to essential communication and the inherent risks to both local inhabitants and security forces operating in the area. The challenging road conditions, stretching from the 72nd Battalion, Armed Border Force’s Chhangri border outpost to Dhoban and onward through New Patal to Yuksom, are critical for daily patrols by soldiers, tourist movement, and the villagers’ everyday lives. The Gyalshing district administration has been apprised of the burgeoning crisis and is reportedly working on a response.
Compounding the unfolding disaster, another wooden bridge, linking the Dhoban border post to Samvay Nayapatal under the Nambu Sindrabung Gram Panchayat Unit, was dramatically swept away around 9 AM by the powerful currents of the Sakim Dhoban Khola river. This second incident has entirely severed a key route, bringing all traffic and communication to a complete standstill. Both the District Disaster Management Authority and the local administration have been urged to prioritize the immediate reconstruction of these bridges to restore crucial connectivity. In the interim, soldiers from the 72nd Battalion SSB Yuksum have begun utilising alternative, likely more challenging, routes to maintain their operations.
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