All eyes on the road

With the monsoon season looming, Sikkim’s fragile connectivity via NH 10 stands on the brink once again. The recent meeting between Sikkim’s Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba and NHIDCL executive director Riten Kumar Singh accentuates the perennial struggle of maintaining this crucial highway. While NHIDCL’s takeover of NH 10 from the West Bengal PWD raises expectations, past failures and bureaucratic inefficiencies cast a shadow of doubt over the agency’s ability to deliver.

NH 10 is not just a highway; it is Sikkim’s lifeline. Yet, every monsoon, the people of Sikkim endure prolonged disruptions due to landslides, rising Teesta waters, and road subsidence. The 2024 monsoon alone saw a four-month closure, crippling the state’s economy, affecting emergency medical services, and isolating thousands. The repeated cycle of disaster and repair reflects systemic neglect rather than a long-term vision for resilience. It is commendable that MP Indra Hang Subba is pushing for immediate maintenance, but such stopgap measures will never be enough.

The demand for an alternative highway along the other side of the Teesta valley is not new. The government has long acknowledged its necessity, but little tangible progress has been made. The bureaucratic inertia and environmental concerns cited as roadblocks fail to justify the inaction, especially when weighed against the socio-economic consequences of NH 10’s recurrent failures. A single, vulnerable route for an entire state in the 21st century is a policy failure of epic proportions.

NHIDCL’s takeover of NH 10 offers a renewed chance at accountability, but will it truly ensure uninterrupted connectivity? The agency must prioritize slope stabilization, efficient drainage systems, and preventive measures instead of reactive patchwork. Temporary repairs cannot be the norm; only comprehensive engineering solutions will secure this arterial road. Furthermore, regular updates on maintenance progress should be made publicly available to foster transparency and prevent complacency.

The Centre and the state government must also push for alternative routes with urgency, treating it as a national priority rather than a mere infrastructure project. Sikkim’s geographical and economic isolation due to a single access road is unacceptable. If the country can push for multi-crore highway projects in the plains, why is a sustainable solution for Sikkim still languishing in bureaucratic limbo?

With monsoons set to test NH 10 yet again, the time for political assurances and half-measures is over. The people of Sikkim deserve a robust, uninterrupted highway network, not seasonal promises and emergency fixes. NHIDCL must prove that its takeover is not just a change of hands but a commitment to real, lasting solutions.