The Bengal departments of public works and irrigation will repair NH10’s 30km stretch between Sevoke and Melli to facilitate the movement of heavy vehicles on the highway that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country.

The 30km stretch will be closed for two days from Wednesday on account of the repairs.

The highway will be strengthened to prevent erosion caused by the Teesta, which leads to cave-ins on different stretches of NH10.

Kalimpong district magistrate Balasubramanian T. said on Tuesday: “Last month, we reopened NH10 after restoration works, but only for light and some medium
vehicles. As of now, heavy vehicles are taking turnaround routes. To ensure that heavy vehicles move along the highway, this closure is
required for final restoration works.”

On August 8, the highway had closed down as the road had caved in at Birikdara, located near Sevoke. The PWD had to cut down the hills to build a new road and on August 24, it was reopened for light vehicles and buses having a capacity of a maximum of 32 seats.

“Trucks and other heavy vehicles bound for Sikkim and Kalimpong from Siliguri and vice-versa were moving along the Lava-Gorubathan route and had to cover an additional 70km. Once the repairs are over between Rangpo and Melli, these vehicles can move along NH10,” said a source in the administration.

Debris fell from the hillside at Birikdara again during a fresh bout of showers and blocked the highway on Tuesday. The PWD has engaged earth movers to clear the debris so that traffic can resume on NH10.

The district magistrate said along with the PWD, teams from the state irrigation department also visited some vulnerable locations along the right bank of the Teesta — NH10 runs parallel to the river — to carry out protective works.

“There are some stretches where the river erodes land from under the highway. This eventually leads to cave-ins and halts traffic. The irrigation department will carry out protection works along the river bank in association with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration,” said the source.

In the past few months, demands were raised from different quarters in the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim that the Union ministry of road transport and highways hand over the maintenance of NH10 to NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) from the Bengal PWD.

Nitin Gadkari, who heads the ministry, reportedly asked his officials to take necessary steps in this regard.

“So far, we have not yet received any communication in this regard. Thus, our NH division is carrying out restoration works along the highway,” said a source in the
state PWD.