Darjeeling, July 23: With all major thoroughfares between Darjeeling and Siliguri remaining closed due to landslides, the district administration is considering allowing heavy vehicles with half their normal load, to pass through the Giddepahar bypass in Kurseong to ensure that the region did not suffer from a shortage of commodities.

The Giddepahar road has never been opened to heavy vehicles and is used only by lighter ones on the Darjeeling-Siliguri journey.

With National Highway 55, also called the Tenzing Norgay Road, choked for about 70 metres at Paglajhora, near Kurseong, and the Mirik-Siliguri road still closed after the July 8 landslide, all essential commodities for Darjeeling and Kurseong are being brought through the longer Mungpoo route.

The authorities yesterday allowed a heavy truck with half its carrying capacity through the Giddehpahar road. The truck successfully negotiated the steep gradient.

Officials believe the main highway will be restored for use by light vehicles in a period of three to four weeks, but it may be quite some time before it is fit for heavy vehicles to ply.

In 1998, the highway had remained closed for a period of three months after a landslide at Paglajhora and authorities believe the road could remain closed for a similar period this monsoon.

“The problem at Paglajhora is that boulders and mud continue to tumble down and that is hampering work,” said Darjeeling district magistrate Hriydesh Mohan.

According to the district administration, an amount of Rs 5 crore was needed to restore the Mirik-Siliguri road and it said it did not have the required funds at its disposal to initiate repairs.

“However, we are working on clearing the Mirik road so that essential commodities can easily be transported through this road and we have been working on a priority basis,” said Mohan.

The district administration is also considering a proposal on forming a trans-shiftment camp at Tindharia and another site above Paglajhora so that trucks can reach with their full loads up to this point. This is an effort to stop prices of commodities from skyrocketing.

Kurseong has had to bear the brunt of the destruction unleashed by the landslides, as commodities have to travel via Mungpoo and Ghoom before reaching the town.

The Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce has also maintained that it will ensure that there is no drastic hike in the price of essential commodities.

Yadav Subba, vice-chariman of Kurseong municipality, said though the prices of vegetables were shooting up, those of other essentials had remained stable so far.

“We had convened a meeting with the chamber of commerce and they assured us they would not raise the prices of essential commodities. Also, jeeps from Siliguri are carrying commodities in order to ensure there is no crisis.”