A month after disaster, NH 10 still closed to heavy vehicle

YOWAN MOTHAY, EOI, KALIMPONG, NOVEMBER 7, 2023 : Even after a month of the disaster triggered by the flash flood in river Teesta, the traffic on National Highway-10 has not returned to normal. Although the movement of small vehicles on the highway has been restored, the movement of passenger buses and other heavy vehicles is still restricted. 

Due to the ongoing construction work on the highway, the administration has banned the movement of large vehicles. But the drivers are unhappy that even after a month, big vehicles have not been allowed to ply. 

On Tuesday, the Kalimpong Drivers Association submitted a memorandum to the Kalimpong District Magistrate demanding that National Highway-10 be made suitable for accommodating large vehicles as soon as possible. 

After handing over the memorandum, president of the Drivers Association Mahendra Gurung said: “The repair of the National Highway-10 should be expedited to large vehicles. We will meet the District Magistrate again within a week. If the administration delays the work, the Drivers' Association will launch a protest.” 

He said that even one month after the disaster, the condition of the road has not improved. “Drivers are suffering. They are not exempted from tax or insurance or fitness. Therefore, we demand that the construction of NH-10 should be completed as soon as possible, keeping in mind the problems faced by the drivers.” 

In the memorandum, the organization mentioned that the NH-10, which has been badly damaged due to the recent natural calamity, had been closed due to traffic restrictions. Vehicles had to use an alternative route, via Lava. Due to the change in route, all the big vehicles were traveling via Lava. 

It was taking around five hours for transport buses to reach Siliguri, causing inconvenience to passengers and drivers. It was mentioned in the memorandum that the local people of Tista, Sittong, Lathpanchar, Mongpoo, Riang, Lohapul, Geylekhola, 27 Mile, Kalijhora and other areas were being completely deprived of the facility of travel. 

People living in these places depended on buses plying along NH 10. Most of the people belonged to economically weaker sections and could not afford a taxi for daily transportation. People in these areas should also have the facility to use the passenger buses. 

The Drivers Association suggested that if heavier vehicles could not be allowed to use the road right now all vehicles travelling through Tista should be diverted via Lava. A lower traffic load would help the repair of the road to be expedited. 

As an alternative the Drivers Association suggested that mini buses should be allowed to travel one way, driving down to Siliguri and allowed to return via Lava.