Road to Sikkim’s Lachen reopens after four months, restoring vital connectivity

After four months of disruption, a vital road near the Taramchu Bridge in North Sikkim was reopened on August 29, restoring crucial connectivity to Lachen in Mangan district.

Minister for Social Welfare and Lachen area MLA Samdup Lepcha inaugurated the reconstructed stretch and formally opened it for public use following a brief religious ritual at the site. The reopening is expected to provide significant relief to residents of Lachen, who had faced prolonged connectivity issues due to the region’s difficult terrain and recurring natural calamities.

The Taramchu stretch serves as a crucial lifeline connecting Lachen with Chungthang, Mangan and other parts of the district. The road was earlier restored on February 26, 2026, following damage caused by previous natural disasters, but was cut off again on April 5.

Since then, personnel of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) worked continuously for four months to restore the route. Minister Lepcha thanked the GREF personnel for their efforts and acknowledged the cooperation extended by the Lachen Dzomsa and local community during the restoration work.

The Minister noted that the challenging restoration was completed without any casualty and assured residents that the government would continue efforts to maintain vital road connectivity despite the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

The reopening is also significant for North Sikkim’s tourism sector, with Lachen serving as a gateway to high-altitude destinations such as Gurudongmar Lake and Chopta Valley. The prolonged closure had affected tourist movement and livelihoods dependent on tourism, including homestays, taxi operators and local guides.

The Minister was accompanied by Mangan District Collector Anant Jain, State Medicinal Plants Board Chairman Sonam Gyatso Lachenpa, Project Swastik Chief Engineer Brigadier Amit Sakhre, senior GREF officers and other officials and local representatives.

Speaking on the technical aspects, Brigadier Amit Sakhre said further reinforcement work would begin in October along the vulnerable 80–100 metre stretch. The proposed measures include rock bolting, retaining walls, high-tensile ropes and rock-fall barriers, along with strengthening of the abutment of the nearby Taramchu Bridge.

The reopening marks an important step towards restoring normal connectivity for Lachen’s residents while providing a boost to the region’s tourism-dependent economy. The planned reinforcement work is also aimed at making the mountain route safer and more resilient against future disruptions.