NH-10 Highway: A Joy or a Jinx?

SHASHANK SHARMA

Federal Route 10 (NH 10) (earlier NH 31A) is the public road in North East India that connects the Indo/ Bangladesh edge via Siliguri to Gangtok. It runs through the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim. The road is being preserved by the individual Highways and base improvement firm express (NHIDCL) from Rangpo to Ranipool (28 Km) in the state of Sikkim.

NH10 goes from Indo/Bangladesh edge linking Phulbari, Siliguri, Sevoke, Kalijhora, Rambi Bazar, Teesta Bazar, Kalimpong, Melli in West Bengal region and Rangpo, Majitar, Singtam, Ranipool and terminating at Gangtok in the State of Sikkim. Atal Setu structure built by NHIDCL, the longest road construction of Sikkim is a section of NH10 which rests on the edge of West Bengal's Kalimpong region and Sikkim's Pakyong district at the town of Rangpo.

Sikkim's essential lifeline, NH10, has been a cause of many problems recently, its constant closing leading to the communication between Sikkim and its, West Bengal's Siliguri has been encountering limitations. From May 6 to May 9, vehicular movement along NH 10 between Sikkim and Siliguri was limited. This was because essential repairs were being carried out between Rabi Jhora and Gail Khola in the West Bengal area the highway.

For tourists, journeying from Siliguri to Gangtok is a wonderful choice to immerse in the physical beauty and social variety of Sikkim. This accessible travel provides beautiful views of the Himalayas, making it a sought-after way for tourists visiting the beautiful part of India. However, this experience has been interrupted in numerous occasions by the change of route suggested by the officials to use the alternate routes for travelling between Sikkim and Siliguri when the highway shuts down. This route allows only smaller vehicles to go from Rangpo to Siliguri via Monsoong-17 Mile-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan and vice versa at all times. Smaller and more commodities vehicles are allowed to take this way via Melli bridge-Chitrey-Kalimpong town-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan to Siliguri and vice versa.

The goods vehicles are limited between 9 pm and 6 am. While this change in route can be a beautiful experience for the tourists, locals have expressed concerns about the difficulty caused by the limitation and the expenses. They note that because of this diversion, the tiny car could take an extra one to two hours, while the bigger vehicle took two to three hours to get to Gangtok, which also caused a steep jump in fares. This also leads to shortage of essential commodities.

Sikkim evolved from a remote, inaccessible Himalayan country into a contemporary government at the forefront of social and economic development. Sikkim quickly evolved from the world's feudalistic framework to a dynamic, contemporary democratic state of India where individuals from all walks of life can move freely. It is a peaceful situation in which common harmony reigns supreme. But this sense of joy has been broken by the frequent detours on NH10. The people of Sikkim have been facing many difficulties due to the frequent closure of the highway. Keeping NH10 in good shape is crucial for Sikkim's growth and progress.

(The writer is a student at MS Ramaiah College of Arts Science and Commerce, Bengaluru. Email: shashank030303@gmail.com)