Sikkim govt approves construction of 9 Baily bridges

The Sikkim government on Tuesday approved the construction of nine Bailey bridges across four districts of the state, which has been ravaged by a flash flood, a statement said.

These bridges will be built in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts, said the statement issued by State Relief Commissioner Anil Raj Rai, without mentioning the cost involved.

Eight of these bridges will be built over the Teesta river, a flash flood in which devastated the state on Wednesday, while one bridge will be built over the Kanaka river at 6th Mile in Dzongu.

The bridges over Teesta will come up at Singtam Bazar, Tanak, Phidang, Lower Dzongu, Sangkalang-Upper Dzongu, Pegyong, Mastar and Lower Sanding Bazar.

The flash flood had washed away 14 bridges, paralysing road connectivity in the Himalayan state.

The locations of the Bailey bridges were finalised by the coordination committee that was formed during the National Crisis Management Committee meeting on Monday.

The coordination committee comprised senior officers of the Border Roads Organisation, senior engineers of the state's Roads and Bridges Department and the Rural Development Department.

It has been assigned the responsibility to immediately start the inspection of the locations for the construction of the bridges, and submit a report by October 12, the statement said.