Landslides roadblock to hills: Traffic disrupted on NH 10, DHR services suspended

The railways also suspended the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway services between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling till October 15

Buldozer clear slide on NH-10 near Melli bazar in Sikkim on Thursday. A damaged portion of NH 10 near Kalijhora: File image

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, 28.09.24 :  Incessant rain in Darjeeling and in the plains continued to disrupt life in the past 24 hours.

The railways also suspended the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway services between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling till October 15.

Several landslides were reported from Sikkim, Darjeeling and Kalimpong while traffic movement was once again closed along National Highway 10 on Friday afternoon.

The rain has also hampered restoration work of the affected railway tracks of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which has also prompted the authority in the Northeast Frontier Railway to suspend the toy train servicebetween New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.

A source in the public works department said that the traffic movement was stopped on Friday along the stretch between Swetijhora and Rangpo of NH 10 following several slides.

“The continuous slides of boulders and rubbles on the road at Birikdara (30km from Siliguri) have been piling up since Friday morning. Another stretch of the highway collapsed at Andherijhora near Kalijhora. Considering the situation, the traffic movement has been stopped along the highway since Friday afternoon,” the source said.

The district administration of Kalimpong also stopped vehicular movement between Kalimpong and Darjeeling through Rabijhora and Teesta Bazar after Teesta submerged portions of the road in the areas.

Sikkim also reported a number of landslides throughout the day. Traffic movement between Singtam and Rangpo was affected after a landslide occurred at 20th Mile.

Similar slides of boulders and mud near Melli stopped vehicular movement between Melli and Laburbotey.

The Northeast Frontier Railway has decided to extend the suspension of regular toy train passenger service between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and vice versa till October 15.

A railway official said that the restoration work was hampered by the rain.

“We have suspended the toy train movement between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and vice versa till October 15 because the tracks are affected at Paglajhora and Tindharia.

“The restoration work could not be completed because of heavy rain. Considering the safety of the passengers we have decided to suspend the train movement,” said a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway official.

The toy train movement along the stretch has been suspended since July 5.

“We will operate four more Darjeeling Himalayan Railway joy rides by toy train between Darjeeling and Ghoom to ease the rush of passengers during the upcoming festive season from October 5 and it will continue till November 10,” the official said.

A source in the India Meteorological Department (IMD), however, said more rainfall is likely to occur in Sikkim and some districts of north Bengal in the next 24 hours.

“There are predictionsfor heavy to very heavy rain likely to occur in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar on Saturday. The incursion of moisture from the Bay of Bengal will cause very heavy rain and it is likely to affect some parts of Sikkim in the next24 hours,” the source in the IMD said. 

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph