Sikkim landslide snaps road link to SSB battalion HQ
A major landslide washed away a section of a highway in West Sikkim on Wednesday, snapping road connectivity to the headquarters of the 72nd Battalion of the SSB at Yuksom and halting vehicular movement along a major tourism route.
An official release said that no casualty was reported in the landslide, triggered by heavy water flow from the Siksa Khola stream, between 6.30 am and 7 am at Rimbi, which is around 4.5 km from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) battalion headquarters.
“A large quantity of landslide debris, accompanied by a heavy flow of water from Siksa Khola, caused damage to the road on the Geyzing-Pelling-Yuksom route, resulting in complete disruption of connectivity,” the release said. Geyzing-Pelling-Yuksom route links a tourism and historical circuit in Gyalshing district in the western part of the Himalayan State.
While Pelling offers panoramic, close-up views of the Khangchendzonga mountain range, Yuksom is the first capital of Sikkim where the first Chogyal (king) was crowned in 1642. It is also home to Dubdi Monastery, the oldest monastery in the State.
A joint inspection of the affected site was carried out by the Commandant of the 72nd Battalion, District Magistrate of Gyalshing, police officers and officials of various government departments. They assessed the extent of damage and chalked out immediate measures for restoration of the route, the release said.
On the request of the district administration, the Rescue Relief Team (RRT) of the SSB 72nd Battalion was deployed to help clear debris and reopen the road.
SSB personnel are working in coordination with district authorities and executing agencies to restore connectivity and provide necessary assistance to locals, it added.
According to the SSB release, temporary restoration work to reopen the Geyzing-Pelling-72nd Battalion-Yuksom Road is expected to take three to four days, subject to weather and site conditions.
However, officials indicated that reconstruction of the damaged 30-metre stretch, including an affected bridge section and strengthening the route for heavy vehicle movement, could take three to four months.
