Vehicle movement along the National Highway has been halted indefinitely as efforts to restore the road are ongoing due to a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall. Following persistent rain in the area, a landslide occurred at the Selfie Dhara viewpoint in Kalimpong.
The NH10 is considered to be one of the major routes as it connects West Bengal with Sikkim.
Current status of NH10
An official quoted by ANI said, ”The NH10 has been in a deplorable condition for several days. Vehicle movement has recently been stopped. A railway JCB is being used for the restoration work which is undergoing. The road is likely to reopen within 2-3 days.”
A Traffic Police officer Jagdish while commenting on the current situation stated that traffic movement has been stopped for now and a railway JCB has been brought in to speed up the process.
For tourists who have been stranded in North Sikkim a help desk has been set up by the government of Bengal. Many tourists from West Bengal have been reported to be affected by the landslides and heavy rainfall in Sikkim. As per the latest report, heavy downpours in Sikkim have increased the water level of the Teesta River. The Jhora and Teesta Bazar regions have been inundated. The Kalimpong District Magistrate has instructed diversions and restrictions in Upper Sikkim because of the heavy wet spells.
Similarly, vehicular movement was impacted because of intense weather conditions on NH10 last month.
(With inputs from ANI)