national highway 31(a) set to go a drastic change

Mukesh Sharma 17 Jan kalimpong.
The national highway 31(a) where the repairing work is going on full
throttle will witness drastic change over in coming months. In the
kalimpong subdivision many repairing work are going on in the
landslide prone zone. The GREF and the B.R.O in charge for the
maintenance of the highway has undertaken many new plans to give the
road a proper look. The foremost important of the one is the
construction of the alternate highway of 18 km between gelkhola and
reang area which has given trouble in the monsoon. This portion of the
road has witness many landslide in the last five years. The GREF has
sanctioned a plan for double laning of the highway in the 4km to 14 km
zone the area near to lohapull to kalijhora. The plan is under the
state forest ministry for its last clearance according to the sources.
If this plan gets the clearance the double laning of the highway will
be totally a new thing for the hilly people who have ample experience
travelling on the small narrow road. Meanwhile the department has
filed a appeal in the apex court for construction and reparing work of
the highway which comes under the mahananda life sanctuary. The
highway between tista to rompu is under engineering observation for
estimate plans told the sources. Many plans already sent by the
department excepting to getting the clearance for repairing in the mid
April and May month this year. The national highway 31(a) has been
struck with the 18th September quake causing great damages to the
interior portion of the rocks. In many portion the rocks above the
highway has softened posing a threat. The aftermath work of the last
year monsoon and the quake has caused a great problem causing jam in
the highway.