The prolonged disruption of NH10, the lifeline of Sikkim and Kalimpong, has started affecting trade in the plains and monsoon tourism in parts of the hills.

Traders in Siliguri, the main supply hub of the hills, said business was down by almost 65 per cent since connectivity had been disrupted because of NH10's closure for nearly a month.

Similarly, tourism stakeholders in Kurseong and Kalimpong said occupancy during monsoon which hovers around 40 per cent nosedived to less than five per cent because of the poor condition of the highway.

Representatives of Siliguri Bidhan Market Byabasayi Samity claimed their business largely depended on tourists and customers in the neighbouring Darjeeling hills and Sikkim. After NH10 was shut because of a cave-in near View Point in Kalimpong district, the traders observed a significant dip in the business in the past month.

“Business plummeted by 65 per cent in the market because of disruption in traffic on NH10 for nearly a month. We don’t know how long this will continue,” Bapi Saha, secretary of the trade body, said.

The Bidhan Market is the largest retail hub in Siliguri and deals with essential commodities, garments, electronics and household articles. With 1,650 regular shops, the market has a cumulative daily transaction of around ₹20 crore.

Shiv Kumar, the secretary of the Siliguri regulated Market Fruits and Vegetable Commission Agents' Association, echoed Saha.

“This is the biggest wholesale market of fruits, vegetables and fish. We supply commodities across north Bengal and Sikkim. The traffic disruption has brought down our supplies,” the secretary of the wholesale trade body said.

The monsoon tourism in Sitong, Latpanchar and Mungpoo in Kurseong and Kalimpong has also been hampered by the poor condition of NH10 and other roads.

Bikram Rai, president of the United Sittong Homestay Welfare Society, said hardly any tourists were turning up nowadays.

“At this time of the year, occupancy is around 40 per cent but this year, it has dropped by less than five per cent,” said Rai.

The Sitong-Mungpoo area has many approach roads but the easiest is through NH10. The other routes are from Dilaram, 3rd Mile near Darjeeling or Shivkhola in Kurseong.

“Other routes would mean that travel time will increase by two hours and the fares, too, will be high,” said Rai.

An official in the Bengal PWD's NH division said unless the weather improved, it was difficult to restore the damaged spot on NH10 immediately.

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) had earlier said the state was losing ₹100 crore every day because of the NH10 closure.

“As NH10 has closed down, traffic to Sikkim has been affected. It is also taking a toll on the state’s economy and we are losing ₹100 crore every day as SGST (the state’s share of goods and services tax),” Tamang had said.