GANGTOK: A 410m zip line is expected to be operational by Friday at Sangkhalang over the Teesta River for ferrying essential commodities and materials to the cut-off region of Dzongu in North Sikkim. The manually operated zip line with a load capacity of 120 kg would provide some relief to the marooned Dzongu populace till other transportation alternatives are made.
Seven GPUs – settled in Lower Dzongu and Upper Dzongu – are presently isolated after the suspension bridge at Sangkhalang, about four km away from Mangan town, collapsed on June 13 following heavy rains and a rise in Teesta River water levels.
The Sangkhalang bridge was the gateway to Upper Dzongu settlements and also served as the only available alternative passage to Chungthang, Lachung, Lachen and border areas in North Sikkim. It had been launched by the BRO earlier this year in February.
Meanwhile, the Phidang Bridge which is the gateway to Lower Dzongu, is also not advisable for vehicular movement as its abutments are in a perilous condition. Access to this bridge is also hampered due to multiple slides on the approach road and the Dikchu-Mangan route.
Schools and ICDS centres are already closed in the entire Dzongu following the landslides.
The zip line was laid to transfer materials and essential commodities between Dzongu and Mangan.
An IPR release from Mangan informs that the engineering team of BAC Passingdang, officials from BAC Mangan and entire engineering team of Zilla MDZP Mangan, led by Divisional Engineer (MDZP) R.D. Lepcha, undertook the construction of the zip line. A significant aspect of this effort was the involvement of the local communities of Dzongu and Chandey, who played a crucial role in the rapid response to the crisis.
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As of now, the engineering team and local volunteers are actively engaged in pulling the cable and laying it over the tower posts. The primary goal was to have the zip line operational by evening. However, final touches, including the installation of additional U-bolts, clamps, and other necessary prerequisites, are expected to be completed by tomorrow morning, informed the IPR release.
Construction work began on June 17 and the zip line is projected to be fully functional by 10:30 am on Friday. Once operational, it will significantly enhance the movement of materials between Dzongu and Mangan, restoring a critical link disrupted by the disaster, the IPR release informs.
Installation of a bridge at Sangkhalang would take some time and the best alternative at the moment would be to clear the access to Phidang bridge to restore vehicular connectivity to Dzongu. BRO sources inform that works are going on to strengthen the abutments of Phidang bridge. There are multiple slides along Dikchu-Mangan route (Phidang bridge falls in between) and it would take another 10-12 days to restore this stretch.
