Two years back a massive landslide cut-off 11 villages in Sikkim. On Wednesday a bridge was formally inaugurated to resume vehicular movement to Sakyong-Pentong and Tingvong Gram Panchayat Units.
On August 13, 2016 a massive landslide at Syok Bhir at Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim damaged the connecting bridge to Tingvong and Sakyong-Pentong GPUs. On Wednesday a new sliding bridge on Mantam Lake was inaugurated by Deputy Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly Sonam Gyatso Lepcha.
The August 13 massive landslides in 2016 had created an artificial lake and destroyed 14 houses at 4th Mile Mantam village. Since then no vehicle could move to Sakyong-Pentong and Tingvong Gram Panchayat Units. Eleven villages of two gram panchayat units situated on the left bank of the Rengyong River remained disconnected for almost two years. People used to move from one place to another either by their boats or makeshift bamboo bridge.
The bridge has been constructed by Land Revenue & Disaster Management Department and executed by Roads & Bridges Department. The 22 meters long bridge is of 10 tonnes capacity.
Inaugurating the bridge deputy speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly Sonam Gyatso Lepcha on Wednesday expressed his happiness as the bridge will connect 11 villages of two gram panchayat units situated on the left bank of the Rengyong River. He informed that this was just a temporary bridge and the permanent bridge would come up soon.