Landslide-hit NH 10, shut for ten days, to take at least 1 wk to reopen
Times of India | 8 July 2024
Kalimpong: The Kalimpong district administration on Sunday expected it would need at least one week more to reopen the severely landslide-damaged NH 10, a key connect between the plains and north Bengal Hills and Sikkim.
The highway has remained shut for the last 10 days. Vehicles to Siliguri are being diverted via Panbu, Lava and Gorubathan; those from Sikkim also have no option but to take the Lava route via Munsung in Kalimpong.A journey to Kalimpong on this route from Siliguri now takes five hours, compared to around two-and-a-half hours it takes via NH 10.
With two more months of rain expected, the situation remains challenging.
“Several areas are under repair,” said Balasubramanian T, Kalimpong’s district magistrate. “We have had to completely stop traffic on NH 10 to address a road bench collapse at Selfie Point (19th Mile). We may need another six to seven days to restore traffic movement.”