Sikkim’s tourism sector is looking at a possible revival with the season’s first significant snowfall across the Himalayan state, which, though relatively late compared to previous years, has brought fresh cheer to the hill state.
Fresh snowfall was reported over the past 24 hours at Nathula and Tsomgo (Chhangu) Lake in East Sikkim and Yuksam in West Sikkim, while Zero Point and Yumthang Valley near Lachung in North Sikkim have been experiencing heavy snowfall the past week.
Snow is a prime tourist attraction in Sikkim during winters.
However, the tourism industry in Sikkim, particularly in North Sikkim, suffered a major setback after the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) caused extensive damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure, severely affecting access to key tourist destinations for several months.
“Massive snowfall was reported recently in Nathula and Chhangu areas of East Sikkim. Zero Point near Lachung in North Sikkim has remained covered under a thick blanket of snow for the past week, and Yumthang Valley has also been witnessing similar snowfall for the last few days,” said S.K. Subba, adviser to the state tourism and civil aviation department, on Sunday.
Lachung, located around 120km from capital Gangtok in North Sikkim, is one of the most popular winter destinations in the state. The picturesque hamlet turns white almost every winter, attracting tourists in droves.
“Tourists have already started enjoying snowfall and occupancy rates in most lodges and hotels are high so far,” said Kalpak De, a hotelier in Lachung.
Another hotelier said that they were still facing the impact of the devastating GLOF of 2023 in many ways, including infrastructure damage and reduced tourist footfalls. He conceded that North Sikkim was a major propeller of Sikkim’s tourism industry.
The 72nd Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal, which guards the India-Nepal border in Sikkim, reported that Yuksam was covered by snow over the past 24 hours.
“Despite the challenging weather conditions, the jawans of 72nd Bn SSB are standing firm ….they are well-prepared to tackle the situation arising out of
the snowfall and are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of
the people,” a written statement issued by the SSB said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast further snowfall over the next 24 hours.
“Light to moderate rain and snow are likely over the higher reaches of Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts of Sikkim during the next 24 hours,” an IMD official said.
Cold conditions also prevailed in the Darjeeling hills and other parts of north Bengal during the past 24 hours. According to the Met office, Darjeeling recorded a minimum temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Kalimpong clocked 9 degrees Celsius.
North Bengal plains were largely gloomy and foggy, with sunshine visible briefly in the afternoon.