Friday, August 20, 2010

19Aug2010 : A breach on National Highway 31A (NH31A)

The above breach occurred at approx 1.30pm and I am glad to say that by the time I reached the spot at around 3.30pm the BRO had already swung into action with expectations that the highway would be open to traffic by the next day.
Even though Kalimpong had moderate rainfall in the last few days, heavy rain was reported in Sikkim due which the Teesta river was swollen and swift.
What amazes me is that maintaining NH31A during the monsoons is a huge problem with sinking areas and landslides at numerous places yet there are plans to construct a broad gauge railway line all the way from Siliguri to Rangpo along this same route (see here)!
Perhaps we have forgotten that we did have the Kalimpong element of the the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) functioning from Siliguri to Geille Khola (short of Kalimpong) along this route upto 1950. It was closed as being to dangerous to operate after the devastating landslides of that year.

Praful Rao

Photo credits :- Chinlop Fudong Lepcha and Mukesh Sharma

1 comment:

manv said...

Thank you Sir

The high way is open for all traffic from 1400 hrs on 20 aug. We have opened in 24 hrs