The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has announced a plan to construct an alternative route to Darjeeling town in a move that is expected to ease traffic congestion in the town.
The new route will connect Lebong in Darjeeling to 3rd Mile. The road can be used by those travelling to and from Kalimpong, Gangtok and even Siliguri.
GTA chief executive Anit Thapa said on Monday: “The route will start from the Gorkha Stadium area in Lebong and reach 3rd Mile through Padam tea garden. It will be a 13.5km-long route and is estimated to cost around Rs 11 crore. The move is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area.”
The announcement was also made by Norden Sherpa, the GTA Sabha member in charge of tourism, during an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the ascent of Mt Everest by Darjeeling climber Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.
Darjeeling residents have welcomed the new route. “In 2012, there were talks of building a circular road for Darjeeling along the newly announced route. However, not much progress was made then. This route will be immensely beneficial,” said a local resident.
Even though there are many routes through Peshok, Kurseong and Mirik to reach Darjeeling from various places like Siliguri and Gangtok, all these roads merge at Ghoom choking traffic from this point to Darjeeling town.
“This new Lebong route will bypass the stretch thatis prone to traffic snarls and help vehicles enter and exit Darjeeling from opposite directions,” said a retired engineer.
Police initiatives
Darjeeling police have started a number of initiatives to ease traffic snarls in the town during the current tourism season.
Sources said Darjeeling superintendent of police Praween Prakash had twice walked from Ghoom to Darjeeling and taken rides on bikes and in civilian vehicles in civvies to find a solution to the traffic snarls.
“Traffic management changes have been made at Darjeeling Motor Stand to ensure that vehicles to and from Singamari and Lebong don’t cut the road to park in the opposite direction. Police personnel from different police stations have been redeployed in Darjeeling just to manage traffic. New one-way systems were also introduced,” said a source.
Prakash on Monday announced a WhatsApp number 9147889073 that the public could use to send photographs of traffic obstructions and illegal parking.
“We will try to redress such grievances as early as possible,” Prakash said while announcing the dedicated WhatsApp number.
Cannabis in coffin, 4 arrested
Siliguri: The special task force of Bengal police arrested four persons and seized 64kg of cannabis which they had stuffed into a coffin and were carrying in an ambulance.
The STF intercepted the ambulance on Canal Road near Nawapara in Fulbari, Siliguri, on Tuesday. Four persons, including a woman, were in the ambulance with a coffin.
The quartet claimed they were carrying a body in the coffin. They were going from Cooch Behar to Fulbari, one of them said.
The STF personnel weren't convinced and checked the coffin. “Packets of cannabis were found inside. Around 64kg of the narcotic was seized,” a source said.
The STF arrested Pappu Modak, Samir Das, Apurba Dey, and Saraswati Das, all from Cooch Behar.
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