The Madness of Crossing Troublesome Lanthey Khola

While the smaller slides have been cleared along the Mangan-Chungthang highway, the monster disruptions at Lanthey [pix alongside] and Chiyandara remain unspanned. When the weather is clear, some risk the walk across to avail transhipment options which are now available. This remains a risky undertaking as the photograph amply illustrates, but there are hardy porters at hand who even risk making the journey weighed down with headloads for a small premium. As Ongdi Sherpa, one of the porters negotiating the Chiyandara and Lanthey slides with headloads of ration and vegetable provisions, says: “We are charging Rs. 200 for one sack of load and charging Rs. 150 per carton of beer for the carriage from Chyandara to Lanthey which is half kilometre but it is very risky for us to tranship the goods in such a dicey slide where anything could happen at any moment”. Meanwhile, BAC Mangan has arranged for light refreshments for commuters and other workers here at Chyandara, a provision being managed under the supervision of Dorjee Tshering Lepcha and Choden Lepcha.
[from WANGCHUK BHUTIA]