The second bridge is likely to be completed by October 27
After the flash floods in Sikkim caused massive destruction, the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are working on a war footing to restore road connectivity between Mangan and Chungthang in North Sikkim.
Army personnel with the help of the locals completed the construction of a bailey bridge over the Teesta River, and pictures and videos have surfaced on the internet.
"As part of continued efforts to rebuild & reconnect affected areas in North #Sikkim, Army Engineers of #TrishaktiCorps along with BRO and civil administration commenced construction of two bridges at Mangan to open up alternate route Mangan-Sanklang-Chungthang. Working on a war footing, the troops completed construction of the first bridge of 150 feet length on 22 Oct," Trishakti Corps wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Trishakti Corps informed that the second bridge is likely to be completed by October 27. "This will enable vehicle move between Mangan and Chungthang, thus restoring connectivity up to Lachung valley that was cut off since 4 Oct," it added.
"The exceptional skill, unparalleled resolve, dedication to the task & unwavering commitment displayed by the troops has restored hope in the hearts of the affected communities that normalcy will be restored soon," it said.
See the post here:
Mangan town, the headquarters of Mangan district, is situated 66 km north of the state capital Gangtok.
Several areas of north Sikkim ahead of Mangan have remained cut off since October 4, when a cloud burst over Lhonak Lake leading to flash floods in the Teesta in the strategically important small Himalayan state that shares borders with China, Bhutan and Nepal, PTI reported.
A Defence official told the news agency that footbridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan crossing soon enough to enable the movement of people on foot and provision of relief material through the zip lines was also established.
A zip line is a cable or rope stretched between two points of different heights, down which a person or materials can slide with the help of a suspended harness, pulley or handle.
The flash flood in the Teesta river that hit the Himalayan state in the wee hours of October 4 left at least 78 people dead in Sikkim and neighbouring northern West Bengal.