Sikkim: Indian Army constructs 70-foot bailey bridge in less than 72 hours

Gangtok: Demonstrating remarkable efficiency and resilience, the Indian Army engineers of Trishakti Corps constructed a 70-foot Bailey bridge in less than 72 hours on the Dikchu-Sanklang road. This effort supports the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and local administration in restoring connectivity and normalcy to areas affected by recent floods in Sikkim.

The severe floods in Sikkim caused significant disruptions in road communications, especially in North Sikkim. Responding swiftly to the urgent need for rebuilding, the Army engineers began construction of the Bailey bridge at Dett Khola on the Dikchu-Sanklang axis on June 23rd. Despite facing incessant rains and challenging technical constraints, the team completed the bridge within a remarkably short span of 72 hours.

This newly constructed bridge is a vital link that enables vehicular traffic from Dikchu to Sanklang and towards Chungthang. It will facilitate the provision of necessities, including critical medical aid, to the affected residents of Mangan district.

State Forest Minister Mr. Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, along with the State Secretary of Disaster Management, visited the site on June 27th to inspect the completed bridge. They expressed their appreciation for the Indian Army’s rapid and dedicated efforts in completing the construction under such challenging conditions.

The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has demonstrated unwavering dedication by restoring connectivity to North Sikkim amidst challenging conditions. This effort comes in response to incessant rains since June 11 that caused multiple landslides and road breaches, severely impacting access to the region.

The unprecedented heavy rains led to significant disruptions on key routes such as Dikchu-Sanklang-Toong, Mangan-Sanklang, Singtham-Rangrang, and Rangrang-Toong roads, leaving approximately 1200-1500 tourists stranded. The situation was exacerbated by the collapse of the newly constructed suspension bridge at Sanklang, a critical link to North Sikkim and the Dzongu region.

Earlier, BRO successfully cleared multiple slides along the Sanklang-Toong road, making it passable for light vehicles. Similarly, the road stretch between Naga and Lanthakhola on the Mangan-Chungthang road has been cleared for traffic. Despite significant breaches at traditional slide points such as Lanthakhola and Rafangkhola, BRO continues to deploy heavy equipment to restore vehicular connectivity as soon as possible. In the interim, a log bridge has been constructed to ensure foot connectivity across the breached areas.

BRO’s efforts had facilitated the evacuation of over 1000 stranded tourists from Chungthang to Mangan. The personnel of Project Swastik, despite adverse weather conditions, have been working tirelessly and coordinating closely with state authorities to expedite the road evacuation of tourists.

It should be mentioned that earlier BRO also repaired the 180m wide breach caused by Namak Nullah near Dikchu by moving precast culverts from Kalimpong. Around 700 personnel and 20 excavators are deployed to address multiple landslides, ensuring faster connectivity to Mangan in north Sikkim.