SUNDERGAON RESIDENTS REPAIR ROAD:

Looking at the deplorable condition of the road which connects them with the main road, the residents of Sundergaon, below Daragaon, today carried out temporary repair works from ICAR Gate to Greendale School complex. The team, led by Dhurba Gautam, filled up deep potholes created by rainwater flowing out of unmanaged drains. By evening, the team had repaired the road for smooth flow of traffic. The residents also urged the concerned authorities to look for a permanent solution to this problem.

Lingzya-Bey stretch restored, finally

MANGAN, 13 May: North Sikkim was the worst hit by the 18 September 2011 earthquake and in the district, it was Dzongu which took the severest blow. Among the infrastructure lost to the earthquake on the day was the Lingzya-Bey road in Upper Dzongu. The stretch had been ruthlessly devastated by the earthquake with even walking across the stretch being fraught with risks.
Today, more than a year and a half since the earthquake, the Roads & Bridges Department, North district, opened this road for light vehicular traffic right up to Bey today. While this stretch had been opened in mid-Feb, it had not settled down properly, and kept acting up. The earthquake had triggered 15 troublespots on this stretch especially inconveniencing people from Bey, Sakyong and Pentong.
This was never an easy task to accomplish. Just as the terrain was difficult, the weather was hostile and the working conditions difficult. Even clearing away debris from the road was not easy and here was a challenge to cut out fresh alignments.
The Department managed somehow, paying road gangs extra wages.
The inclement weather of the recent weeks kept things difficult, but today, the JCV pushed through to Bey and is clearing its way through to Pentong, the last village reached by road in upper Dzongu.

Ill-timed repairs heave anxiety on border traders

ALL ENDS WELL AS B.R.O PUTS REPAIRS OFF FOR THE WEEK
GANGTOK, 25 Nov: Nathula border traders went through some anxious moments yesterday when they were told that access to Nathula, and hence to trading itself, would not be possible on 26 and 27 November. The information that the traders will not be able to go up to the Sherathang Border Trade Mart or cross over into Tibet came as a worrying update as there are only 4 days left before trade shuts down for the year. The last trading day for the season is 29 November, Thursday. The reason forwarded by Border Roads Organisation, as informed by traders, was that JN Road would be closed for traffic as the road agency will be undertaking repairs on a bridge along the route.
The bridge, on which repairs are supposed to be undertaken, has been identified as the Anda Bridge at 8th Mile on the JN Road en route to Sherathang. This came as a rather perplexing development particularly in light of the fact that only a few days are left for this trading season and many traders have lakhs in transactions still to be recovered.
A delegation of traders soon met with BRO officials as well as Sikkim Police on 24 November and on the request of the traders, BRO has agreed to put off the repairs till next week.
The bridge to be repaired, as informed by traders, is not in such a poor condition that it cannot withstand traffic for a few more days. Incidentally, with trade drawing to a close, there is expected to be a small ceremony by traders up at Sherathang on 29 November, the final trading day.

Fed up cabbies repair Sichey road on their own

GANGTOK, 07 Oct: More than 200 drivers of the Ranka Stand Taxi Driver Association along with the drivers of District Court stand and Burtuk Helipad stand came together to mend the road from Ranka Stand to District Court and Burtuk Helipad today.
Most of the taxi driver’s earnings were going into the maintenance of the vehicles because of the bad road conditions, informed the drivers. The drivers also said that the bad road conditions also lead to accidents at times for which they are blamed.
The passengers are also not happy with the condition of this road as it connects the most important office in this part of town and also the Helipad, said the drivers. The cost of maintaining their vehicles has to be borne by them while the expenses for government vehicles is borne by the concerned department, rued the taxi drivers.
The drivers blamed the Road and Bridges Department for the condition of the road and added that several letters have been submitted to the government for the renovation of the road but action is still awaited.
The initiative is a completely non-political one mentioned the drivers and also thanked Superintendent of Police [SP] East and Deputy Superintendent of Police [DSP] East for providing material to cover the rough patches. They further expressed hope that the state government would look into the matter soon.

Border traders demand restoration of road

NATHULA TRADERS WELFARE ASSC WRITES TO COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPT, DC EAST, GREF
GANGTOK, 14 May: The Nathula Traders Welfare Association [NTWA] recently submitted a memorandum to the Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, District Collector [East], Chief Engineer, GREF seeking early restoration of the road to Nathula which has been closed ever since it was hit by heavy snowfall and landslides last month, leading to a situation where although the border trade is officially open for the year, no trading has taken place thus far this season.
General Secretary of the association, Lakpa Sherpa, informs that GREF Assistant Chief Engineer has assured the reopening of the road by 21 May. “GREF has assured to construct another road just above the main road for smooth functioning of traffic,” he said.
Informing that traders face severe traffic problems during peak tourist season, he said that they have further demanded for one-way traffic at the Sherathang Trade Mart. Border trade over Nathula plays out from 01 May to 31 November, which is also the peak tourist season in the state.
It may be mentioned here that every year the road gets blocked during this season which causes a heavy loss both in terms of trade as well as tourism. Tourist operators have estimated the loss to be in crores every year.
Traders face multiple problems of which lack of proper public toilet facilities is a big problem at Nathula. Traders are using toilets of the immigration and customs office. “We have decided that another delegation will approach the Secretary Commerce and Industries to further press the demands. We will place our demands especially on these problems as they are badly affecting the border trade,” said Mr Sherpa.
On behalf of the association, he expressed gratitude toward the government for revising the list of border trade items. “The fulfillment of this long pending demand of ours will help us in many ways,” he said. The Commerce and Industries Ministry has recently given green signal to revise the trade list.
The recently registered association has 130 traders as members, the General Secretary informed.

Aho youth repair road

GANGTOK, 29 April: A Ranipool-based NGO, Aho Basti Youth Association [ABYA] with the support of Panchayat members of the area has repaired the Aho-Manghim road here in East Sikkim on its own initiative today. More than 80 members of the organization worked together in the road repair task and have made it suitable for vehicular traffic.
An ABYA press release issued by its president, Roshan Subba, explains that the organization took the initiative inspired by the slogan “Afno Gaon Affai Banau”. The release mentions that the people of the village have been facing problems due to the poor condition of the road for the past many days and were apprehensive of what the monsoon would wreak if the need for repairs was left unattended.

Lost road inflates carriage costs hampering CMRHM constructions in Sakyong-Pentong

A BAG OF CEMENT COSTS Rs. 800 TO REACH SITES NOW
MANGAN, 19 April: For the public of Sakyong and Pentong villages which are still cut-off [ever since the September Earthquake wiped away its link roads], reaching materials and other essential items to their houses from the district headquarter town of Mangan has become an expensive affair. Transporting materials for the under construction Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission houses in the area, which need to be completed within the stipulated time as per norms, are proving a heavy burden.
“We have to pay Rs. 800 [regular rates are Rs 390-400 per bag] for a head load of one bag of cement from Mangan to Pentong and we don’t get enough workers as there are several tricky and risky sections which need to be crossed in order to reach Pentong,” informs the Pentong ward panchayat, Phurba Lepcha.  The public and panchayat have expressed that the sanctioned amount under CMRHM is not proving enough to meet their expenses since most of it is spent on carrier charge.
“If the road is restored till Bey village, then it would cut transportation charge by 70%,” added a villager while speaking to NOW!
The residents of Pentong and Sakyong have requested the government to grant additional sanctions under CMRHM for the peculiar situations they are straddled with because of the snapped road network. As these villages are isolated and difficult to access, the villagers depend on Mangan for all their basic necessities.

Roads & Bridges Minister inspects repairs along North Sikkim Highway

CHUNTHANG-LACHUNG ROAD EXPECTED TO TAKE 4 MORE DAYS TO CLEARMANGAN, 18 Oct: The Chungthang-Lachung road axis in North Sikkim, blocked by a rash of landslides ever since the 18 September Earthquake, is expected to be cleared for traffic over the next four days.

Chungthang-Lachen road restored, work underway to clear other tracts as well

MANGAN, 12 OCT: The Chungthang-Lachen road was restored on Tuesday in a combined effort of the army and the Border Roads Organisation. The Mangan-Chungthang road was also cleared for light vehicles Wednesday evening but traffic is not being allowed on it just yet since some of the spots along it are still considered too risky to drive through. These sections are expected to be stabilised over the next few days. Chungthang, however, can be reached through the Teesta Stage-III adit tunnel from Shipgyer to Chungthang.

Road cleared upto Shipgyer, opening option to drive in hydel tunnel to Chungthang

MANGAN, 29 Sept: The Mangan-Shipgyer road was opened for light vehicles today. The restoration work, undertaken by the 20 Mountain Division’s 52nd Engineer Regiment along with State PWD Department, required 12 [major to minor] landslides cleared from Toong to Shipgyer.

Villagers complain against non-maintenance of drains along Singtam-Dikchu road

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 03 May: The Singtam-Dikchu road, which was developed by NHPC with proper drainage system and carpeting five years ago, now sits in a sorry state. The road falls under BRO jurisdiction and has remained without maintenance ever since it was completed.
The villagers of Singbel, Makha and Kokaley complain that their houses situated below the road are placed at risk during monsoons because the roadside drains are useless and surface run-off pours into their lands. The drain here is overgrown with weeds and blocked with debris causing the water to flow over the road at several places on this stretch. Already, several houses in this stretch have developed cracks and land holdings damaged.

BJP state secy threatens indefinite hunger strike if road repair embezzlement complaint remains ignored

GANGTOK, 04 May: The Bharatiya Janta Party, Sikkim state secretary, Laten Tshering Sherpa, has threatened to sit on an indefinite hunger strike in Kaluk Bazaar, if the concerned department and authorities will not take the serious note of the carelessness in the implementation of two road projects in West Sikkim.
He alleged that Rs 11.11 crore strengthening the Soreng-Kaluk road and Rs 25 lakh repairing and carpeting of Kaluk-Rinchenpong road were not properly done and pointed out tht the roads were in pathetic conditions.
He has alleged that both the works were completed only in official files and no work undertaken on ground.
Mr Sherpa has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Road and Bridges Department and the District Collector [West] to take up the matter seriously. Then, he announced, he will give 15 days time to the department to work on the matter and in case it did not, he will sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Kaluk Bazaar.

Rael Chu bridge strengthening work cuts off Chungthang

MANGAN, 15 March: The road from Mangan to Chungthang will remain closed to traffic till 20 March in view of the strengthening of the Rechu (Rel khola) Iron Bridge connecting the two towns, informed BRO officials posted in the area.
The strengthening of the Rechu bridge in North Sikkim which is around 20 kms from Mangan towards Chungthang by the BRO and Army Engineering division started on 12 March. The iron bridge which had become weak and was posing problems for heavy vehicles will be further widened, it is informed.
As there is no alternative route the BRO has urged people of Chungthang, Lachen, Lachung and Saffo to cooperate for the future benefit of all.   Meanwhile, commuters are plying through transshipment at this spot.
[WANGCHUK BHUTIA]

Bar Khola Bridge goes in for renovation, Singtam-Mangan highway closed for a week

MANGAN, 20 Feb: Renovations began yesterday on the notorious Bar Khola Bridge at lower Mangshila in North Sikkim, 15 kms from the North district headquarter town towards Singtam on the Mangan-Singtam axis. The repair work is scheduled to continue for a week, during which time the Singtam-Mangan highway via Dikchu will be closed. While heavy vehicles will remain off this road, light vehicles will have the option to ply from the Dzongu route via Hee-Gyathang and Sangkalang to Mangan. It may be recalled that this bridge has already been washed away twice in the past two years and 2010, traffic here was closed for almost a month.

[WANGCHUK BHUTIA]