A sudden bout of heavy rain on Tuesday night relief to residents of north Bengal who were beleaguered by heat.

However, it also triggered landslides across the hills, including NH10, the highway that connects Sikkim and Kalimpong with Siliguri, and some parts of Darjeeling.

Sources said the downpour led to landslides in at least three locations on the highway, thus halting traffic movement for some time.

“The incessant rain brought down debris in locations like the 28th Mile, 29th Mile, and Melli along NH 10. We engaged our men and could clear the affected areas within a few hours by using earthmovers, after which the traffic movement was restored. The highway is open now,” said an official of the state PWD.

Minor slides were also reported near the railway station in Darjeeling and at lower Singtam’s Raghubirdhura which is around seven kilometres from the hill town.

In Sikkim, a slide disrupted vehicular movement along the Jorethang-Namchi Road.

Sources in the Met Office said there is a forecast for some more rainfall during the next couple of days. “A lower pressure area has developed in the Bay of Bengal. It is expected to cause somerainfall in this region,” saida source.

Lachen meeting

In Sikkim, administrative officials of Mangan, the sole district located in the north of the mountain state, held a meeting with local representatives on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of reopening Lachen and Lachung, two popular hotspots for tourists.

After the GLOF (glacial lake outburst flood) in October last year, these destinations are yet to be opened to tourists.

Anant Jain, the district magistrate of Mangan who was present at the meeting, said representatives from local communities expressed concerns over the economic losses resulting from the closure of the tourism sector after the GLOF and landslides.

“This meeting was aimed at addressing the economic impact on communities dependent on tourism,”Jain said.

Jain also suggested that once the routes reopen, it would be advisable for tourists to obtain an advancepermit online, one day before their visit, at the Third Mile Check Post in Gangtok, for effective management of vehicular traffic along theroutes leading to these destinations.