ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 20 July: Monsoon-induced disruptions on National Highway 31-A have returned, with various spots on the Siliguri-Gangtok stretch blocked because of landslides. After shutting down the highway for over 12 hours at Rambi in the West Bengal side on 17 June last month, the rains once again disrupted traffic along the highway, and this time for over 20 hours and at two different trouble-spots.
Speaking to NOW! this afternoon, the Gorkha Janmukti Chalak Mahasangh [GJCM], president, Milan Pradhan, informed that NH-31A was blocked at a spot around 200 meters from the Teesta bridge towards Siliguri. The spot near the Shiv Mandir at the infamous Likhu Bhir is informed to have lost a section of the road to heavy rains.
A section of the road gave way here at around midnight, after which traffic has come to a standstill with vehicles on either side turning back or taking the alternative routes via Darjeeling, Kurseong or Mirik. Some drivers are also taking the route via Kalimpong- Lava-Gurubathan and Damdim and entering Siliguri over the Coronation Bridge to rejoin NH 31A.
“The spot where the landslide has taken a major section of the road is where the GREF was carrying out its back cutting works. Last night’s rain triggered the slide after the slope had been hammered by near continuous rainfall for over three weeks now,” informs Mr. Pradhan.
With alternate routes feasible only for passenger vehicles and not supply trucks, BRO has now begun expanding the back-cutting work to carve out a new alignment for vehicles to crossover this spot.
“BRO personnel have been working at the site continuously for over 10 hours now but the slush and debris from the slide is making progress difficult. The continuous rain is also causing trouble for personnel working at the site and making work dangerous. The BRO officials say that the road should be open for small vehicles by this evening but looking at the way things are going on here, we believe it will take longer for the road to be fit enough to take traffic,” informs the GJCM president.
It may also be informed here that transshipment across the slide is also not possible since the area is still unstable with knee deep slush and debris all over. Making it past the slide on foot is a risky proposition which has led travelers to ply from the alternate routes instead of risking life and limb.
With the monsoons still in full flow, two other trouble-spots, one a little further from Coronation Bridge and SNT jhora where a slide had caused the highway to close for almost three days last year and the second at Break Dara, Daghuwa, 29th Mile, a few kilometers from Kalijhora are also a disasters waiting to happen.
Heavy back cutting by GREF in these areas is bringing down mud slips almost every day with traffic being stalled here for a couple of hours on regular intervals.
GANGTOK, 20 July: Monsoon-induced disruptions on National Highway 31-A have returned, with various spots on the Siliguri-Gangtok stretch blocked because of landslides. After shutting down the highway for over 12 hours at Rambi in the West Bengal side on 17 June last month, the rains once again disrupted traffic along the highway, and this time for over 20 hours and at two different trouble-spots.
Speaking to NOW! this afternoon, the Gorkha Janmukti Chalak Mahasangh [GJCM], president, Milan Pradhan, informed that NH-31A was blocked at a spot around 200 meters from the Teesta bridge towards Siliguri. The spot near the Shiv Mandir at the infamous Likhu Bhir is informed to have lost a section of the road to heavy rains.
A section of the road gave way here at around midnight, after which traffic has come to a standstill with vehicles on either side turning back or taking the alternative routes via Darjeeling, Kurseong or Mirik. Some drivers are also taking the route via Kalimpong- Lava-Gurubathan and Damdim and entering Siliguri over the Coronation Bridge to rejoin NH 31A.
“The spot where the landslide has taken a major section of the road is where the GREF was carrying out its back cutting works. Last night’s rain triggered the slide after the slope had been hammered by near continuous rainfall for over three weeks now,” informs Mr. Pradhan.
With alternate routes feasible only for passenger vehicles and not supply trucks, BRO has now begun expanding the back-cutting work to carve out a new alignment for vehicles to crossover this spot.
“BRO personnel have been working at the site continuously for over 10 hours now but the slush and debris from the slide is making progress difficult. The continuous rain is also causing trouble for personnel working at the site and making work dangerous. The BRO officials say that the road should be open for small vehicles by this evening but looking at the way things are going on here, we believe it will take longer for the road to be fit enough to take traffic,” informs the GJCM president.
It may also be informed here that transshipment across the slide is also not possible since the area is still unstable with knee deep slush and debris all over. Making it past the slide on foot is a risky proposition which has led travelers to ply from the alternate routes instead of risking life and limb.
With the monsoons still in full flow, two other trouble-spots, one a little further from Coronation Bridge and SNT jhora where a slide had caused the highway to close for almost three days last year and the second at Break Dara, Daghuwa, 29th Mile, a few kilometers from Kalijhora are also a disasters waiting to happen.
Heavy back cutting by GREF in these areas is bringing down mud slips almost every day with traffic being stalled here for a couple of hours on regular intervals.
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