Lachen residents highlight daily struggles despite Vibrant Village initiative in North Sikkim

Residents of Lachen in North Sikkim continue to face severe hardships due to poor road connectivity despite the Centre’s Vibrant Village Programme aimed at improving infrastructure in remote border regions.

The issue has once again drawn attention following the recent visit of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who oversees the Communications and Development of North Eastern Region portfolios.

Highlighting the situation, local resident Tamding Chewang shared an emotional social media post describing the risks people endure while travelling in the region.

“The toughest part is knowing that reaching home itself is full of risk. There is always fear of sickness, as there is no proper connectivity and even getting treatment means risking one’s life on dangerous roads,” he wrote.

According to Chewang, many parents have avoided bringing their children home during school holidays over the last three years due to unsafe road conditions. Elderly and sick residents remain stranded, while shortages of cooking gas cylinders and ration supplies have disrupted daily life in the region.

“All hearts are crying yet no connectivity. We are cut off from the world,” he wrote, appealing to fellow Sikkimese to support the demand for better and safer connectivity.

Lachen, located near the India-China border, depends heavily on the Chungthang-Lachen road. However, repeated landslides and road damage since 2023 have frequently cut off the area for extended periods.

Although restoration work by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) is ongoing, progress has remained slow due to difficult terrain, fragile ecology and limited resources.

The concerns come amid the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme, launched in 2023 to improve infrastructure, livelihoods, healthcare, education and connectivity in strategically important border villages across states including Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Around 58 villages in Sikkim are covered under different phases of the programme.

Lachen-Mangan MLA and Minister Samdup Lepcha acknowledged the hardships faced by residents and said discussions were being held to ensure local concerns reach the appropriate authorities.

“People have suffered, the journey has been difficult, and we have faced many hardships,” Lepcha said, while adding that the difficult geographical conditions should also be considered.

He stated that restoration work is continuing with a target to restore connectivity by July 16, though the timeline depends on GREF’s progress and available resources.

“We do not want to put the entire blame on the BRO or GREF. The condition of the land and roads is difficult. The people of Lachung and Lachen have also suffered greatly,” he said.

During his May 14–16 visit to Sikkim for the 51st Statehood Day celebrations, Scindia reviewed several projects linked to tourism, education, sports and connectivity. Temporary measures, including a bridge over Taram Chu, have also been introduced to improve access to the region.

For residents of Lachen, however, safe and reliable connectivity remains the immediate concern as families continue to struggle with uncertainty and travel risks in daily life.