The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has appointed a consultative agency to provide recommendations for improving the condition of NH10, which connects Sikkim and Bengal’s Kalimpong district with the rest of India.
The information was revealed during a meeting held on Friday between NHIDCL officials and representatives of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN), the apex body representing the region’s tourism stakeholders.
“We raised concerns about the frequent closures of the highway, especially during the monsoon, which severely impact the tourism sector as well as the economy of Sikkim and the neighbouring hill districts,” said Samrat Sanyal, HHTDN general secretary.
“During the discussion, NHIDCL officials informed us that a consultative agency has been appointed to assess the overall feasibility and condition of the highway,” he added.
In October 2023, the highway suffered extensive damage following the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) on the Teesta river, triggering recurring landslides and cave-ins that disrupted connectivity and economic activity across Sikkim and Kalimpong.
On December 26, 2024, NHIDCL, which functions under the Union ministry of road transport and highways, officially took over a 52km stretch of NH10 from the state PWD.
In recent months, the NHIDCL has repeatedly shut down certain stretches of the highway following landslides and for repairs.
P.S. Tamang, the chief minister of Sikkim, has said that the state incurs an estimated loss of ₹100 crore per day whenever NH10 is closed.
C.S. Rao, the additional chief secretary of the state tourism and civil aviation department of Sikkim, had also flagged the issue in a letter to NHIDCL last Friday.
In his letter, he mentioned that the frequent closure of different stretches of NH10, even for minor repair jobs, negatively impacted Sikkim’s tourism industry and caused inconvenience to residents of the state who regularly use the highway.
He suggested that the highway should remain open
during peak tourist season.
At a meeting in New Delhi a few weeks back, NHIDCL officials informed Indra Hang Subba, the sole Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim, that the Centre plans to construct viaducts and steel structures to bypass landslide-prone stretches of the highway. Subba confirmed that detailed design and implementation planning for the project are underway.
In Friday’s meeting, tourism stakeholders stressed the need for a coordination group comprising their representatives where regular updates on the highway’s status can be exchanged.
“This will help the tourism sector to draw up travel plans for tourists. Also, people in Sikkim would benefit from the arrangement,” added Sanyal.