Monsoon underlines need for alternative link between Sikkim, Sino-Indian border

The onset of monsoon has come as a reminder that Sikkim needs an alternative link between the state and India’s border with China.

Landslides have hit the National Highway No. 10, which is not only the lifeline to the north-eastern state but also serves as the main link to the Sino-Indian border. The high-altitude road has been hit by landslides at several places in the past three days, rendering the state as well as the border inaccessible from the rest of the country for hours at a stretch.



“With the beginning of monsoon, the frequency of landslides has gone up manifold,” said an officer at the National Highway Authority of India, which maintains the road that was earlier managed mainly by the Border Roads Organisation, a wing of the Indian Army.
The 110-km long hilly stretch of the 178-km long NH10 climbs up to Sikkim’s capital Gangtok at an altitude of 6,000 ft while running between turbulent river Teesta hundreds of feet down on one side and a steep hill on the other side. A 54-km extension of the road touches the Sino-Indian border trade point Nathu-La at an altitude of 14,000 ft. From there, Doka La, where India and China were engaged in a standoff last year, is just 15 km towards south-east.

“It is my prime agenda to restructure connectivity of Sikkim and develop an alternate lifeline,” said Sikkim chief minister PK Chamling.

As an alternative, a 150-km long road is being built by the BRO. But it is not clear whether civilians will have an equal access to it as defence forces. A rail link is also coming up.

Geologist Mamata Desai said, “The hill is too young and fragile here. Therefore, any civil project including these connectivity schemes must be planned keeping this geological aspect in mind. Otherwise it will aggravate the problem instead of solving it.”

Courtesy : Economic Times