On Sunday, the Army, assisted by locals and the civil administration, successfully completed the construction of a crucial bailey bridge over the Teesta River, providing an alternative route between the two locations in North Sikkim. The effort is being described as a massive undertaking by the official.
While the BRO focuses on reestablishing the primary route connecting Mangan, Tung, and Chungthang, the Army, in collaboration with the BRO, local residents, and the civil administration, is actively working to open up an alternate route through Mangan, Sanklang, Theng, and Chungthang. Mangan, the district headquarters, is located 66 kilometers north of the state capital, Gangtok.
The project requires the construction of two bailey bridges over the Teesta River at the Mangan-Sanklang crossing. The first bridge was completed through round-the-clock efforts on Sunday, with the second bridge anticipated to be finished by October 27.
Several areas in North Sikkim have been cut off since October 4 due to a cloud burst over Lhonak Lake, resulting in flash floods in the Teesta River. The Teesta's flow on October 4 widened the river to 600 feet at the Mangan-Sanklang crossing, with water now flowing along two channels, leaving a 160-foot island in between.
The decision to construct two bridges was made to address this challenge. The first 150-foot-long bridge was completed on Sunday, while the second bridge is expected to be finished soon.
Additionally, footbridges and zip lines were swiftly constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan crossings to facilitate the movement of people and the delivery of relief materials.
In light of the significant damage to the main road between Mangan-Tung-Chungthang, a fresh alignment is being established through Naga village to approach the damaged bridge site at Toong. Construction of a new bridge at this site is underway, but it will take some time to complete.
As an immediate solution to restore connectivity up to Chungthang via Mangan-Sanklang-Theng-Chungthang, the troops of Trishakti Corps are constructing a bailey bridge at Mangan-Sanklang crossing, located 200 meters upstream from the previous bamboo bridge and zip line.
More than two weeks after parts of Sikkim were ravaged by flash floods, the damaged National Highway 10 was opened for one-way four-wheeler traffic on Saturday. NH-10, considered the lifeline for the state, is now accessible for a 12-hour drive between Sikkim's capital, Gangtok, and Siliguri in West Bengal starting at 6 am.
The flash flood in the Teesta River on October 4 resulted in significant loss of life in Sikkim and neighboring northern West Bengal, with at least 78 casualties reported.
