Landslide hits North Sikkim highway, tourist permit for Lachung halted

Landslide triggered by heavy rains has hit the North Sikkim highway throwing normal life out of gear.

The Gangtok-Mangan road via the Tashi viewpoint has been closed due to the landslide.

Meanwhile, owing to the adverse weather conditions triggered by cyclone Remal, Chungthang to Lachung road has multiple blockages in the Maltin and BOP areas. 

Further, the permit for visiting Lachung may be stopped until further notice. 

As per reports, the Pakyong-Kolkata flight, Kolkata-Pakyong flight, and Pakyong-Delhi flight might also be affected due to adverse weather conditions and passengers are advised to visit its website to check the flight status.

Also Read: Landslide in Sikkim disrupts water supply in Pakyong

In compliance with the instructions from DC Pakyong regarding the water source disruption ultimately leading to the water scarcity issue at Pakyong, a supplementary visit was carried out to the Dhungelkharka area to evaluate the steps taken by the NHIDCL for mitigation. 

The purpose of the visit was to assess the effectiveness of the measures implemented and identify any further actions needed to address the water scarcity issue.

The visit was attended by various key personnel, including the Assistant Engineer from PHED Pakyong, the BO Barapathing, the Project Engineer from NHIDCL, and the Project Manager (Contractors NHIDCL). 

Each member of the team brought their expertise and insights to the table, contributing to a comprehensive assessment of the situation.

Upon inspection of the Dhungelkharka area, it was observed that the measures taken to redirect rain surface runoff water to the Richu source of the Pakyong Water Supply were still insufficient. It was evident that more proactive steps needed to be taken to ensure a sustainable and reliable water supply for the residents of Pakyong.