Heavy rainfall triggers landslides on NH-10, restoration work on

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 14 August 2019, Darjeeling: Heavy rainfall since Tuesday evening triggered landslides on the National Highway 10, which has been shut down.

Restoration work is on. Alternative roads have been earmarked for Sikkim and Kalimpong to Siliguri. A lady was carried away in the slide but was later rescued.

A landslide occurred at 29th Mile on the National Highway 10 on Wednesday around 2:00 pm.

"We are working on a war-footing to clear the debris and open up the road. Earthmovers have been deployed on both sides of the slide. If it does not rain and fresh slides do not occur then we expect to open up the road by Thursday morning. We will be working throughout the night," stated a PWD (National Highway) official.

Twenty-five-year-old Rabina Raut was carried away in a slide that had occurred with the collapse of the guard wall near 29th Mile. Local residents came to the rescue. She was carried up to the road and later admitted at the Rambi Hospital. She is a resident of Dr Garham's Homes area, Topkhana, Kalimpong.

Owing to the landslide at the 29th Mile causing restriction of movement of vehicles on NH10, two alternative routes from Kalimpong have been earmarked.

The routes are —Kalimpong- Teesta Bazar- Peshok- Jorebungalow- Ghoom- Sonada- Kurseong- Rohini- Siliguri. The other alternative route is— Kalimpong-Algarah- Lava- Gorubathan (Pandara More)-Damdim- Oodlabari- Mongpong- Coronation Bridge (Bagpool)– Sevok-Siliguri.

On August 13, rainfall recorded at Darjeeling was 44.9 mm, Kalimpong 58 mm, Kurseong 45.8 mm, Siliguri 29.4 mm and Gangtok 39 mm.

Rainfall continued on Wednesday also in the Hills. There is an alert for heavy rainfall issued by the Indian Meteorological Department till 18th August.