The state public works department (PWD) has sought the assistance of the Indian Army to construct a temporary Bailey bridge at Dudhia on the outskirts of Siliguri to restore direct connectivity between Siliguri and Mirik.
Last week, a temporary hume-pipe bridge — a causeway — was washed away by the swollen Balason river along SH12 that connects the hill town of Mirik, located around 50km from here.
“The state PWD has formally requested the army to construct a temporary Bailey bridge in the place of the damaged section. The Bailey bridge is likely to be completed within a fortnight, which will help resume traffic between Siliguri and Mirik,” said a source.
On Tuesday, Antara Acharya, the principal secretary of the PWD, inspected the damaged stretch at Dudhia along with officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and the Darjeeling district administration.
When incessant rainfall in the upper catchments triggered a sharp rise in the water level of the Balason on June 19, the waters washed away the causeway that was built after an old concrete bridge at the same location was severely damaged during the flash floods of October 5
last year.
After the incident, the state government has taken the task of building a permanent bridge at the site, and the work is in progress.
Over the past few days, the sub-Himalayan Bengal and the neighbouring state of Sikkim have been witnessing heavy rainfall. On Tuesday, it rained in Siliguri and waterlogging was reported in some parts of Cooch Behar and Alipurduar.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mangan in north Sikkim recorded 105mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, while Cooch Behar and Siliguri received 60mm and 45mm of showers, respectively.
In Alipurduar district, a bout of heavy showers led to waterlogging in Falakata town. As a result, students could not attend classes. A section of residents expressed disappointment with the situation and accused the civic body of failing to take the necessary steps to clear the drains ahead of the
monsoon.
“Instead of taking an active role to ensure that there is no waterlogging in the town, the chairman and the vice-chairman of the municipality have resigned,” said a resident.
In Sikkim, a major landslide along the Rangpo–Rorathang Road in the eastern parts of the mountain state completely blocked vehicular movement on the route. The site is around 40km from Gangtok.
Excavators and workers were engaged in clearing debris at the site, while vehicles had to take detours.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by heavy to very heavy rainfall in most parts of north Bengal throughout the week.
“Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts are likely to receive around 100mm of rainfall, along with gusty winds and thunderstorms. Mangan, Namchi, Pakyong and Soreng in Sikkim are expected to witness rough weather in the next 24 hours,” said an
IMD official.