HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, JULY 11: Torrential and persistent rain in Sikkim’s remote town of Yuksom, which is in the Gyalshing district, has caused several landslides, leading to massive disruption. Officials said on Thursday that two vital wooden bridges have been washed away, effectively severing key routes of access and isolating the area.
One of the bridges that collapsed was linking Chhangri Basti to Dhoban and broke after over 24 hours of continuous rain. The loss of infrastructure through landslides has significantly disrupted local movement and posed critical logistical issues to both residents and security forces based in the region.
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The destroyed infrastructure consists of an important route traversed by the Sashastra Seema Bal’s (SSB) 72nd Battalion. The path, which runs from the Chhangri border post to Dhoban and to New Patal and Yuksom, caters to not just everyday village requirements but is also necessary for patrol activities by troops and tourism in the area. Without the bridge, the route now lies in a tenuous and inaccessible state.
In the second case, strong currents from the Sakim Dhoban Khola river washed away another wooden bridge at 9 a.m., further cutting off connectivity. This bridge linked the Dhoban border post to Samvay Nayapatal of the Nambu Sindrabung Gram Panchayat Unit. The fall has halted all movement and communication along this corridor altogether.
The administration of the Gyalshing district and the District Disaster Management Authority have been informed of the emerging crisis. Restoration work is said to have already started, with renewed appeals made for rebuilding the affected bridges and restoring connectivity to the cut-off areas. Meanwhile, troops of the 72nd Battalion deployed in Yuksom have already started taking alternative routes to continue their patrol operations and maintain at least partial access to the affected areas.
