North Sikkim tourism returns to normal after Toong-Naga Road restoration.
Following the reopening of the Toong-Naga Road, tourism in North Sikkim has resumed as usual, according to Nim Tshering Lepcha, Chairman of the Sikkim Welfare Commission and a native of Naga village.
According to Lepcha, “the flow of tourists towards Lachung is going smoothly, with about 400 tourist vehicles visiting the region every day.” She also mentioned that the road conditions have improved, enabling safe and continuous travel.
He added that efforts are being made to get Lachen back online. “A bridge over the Taram Chu River is being built by the Border Roads Organisation, and it should be finished by the first week of February.” Tourist travel to Lachen will also resume once the bridge is completed, according to Lepcha.
According to Lepcha, households impacted by the catastrophe from the previous year will be moved as part of the rehabilitation efforts. 125 families from the Rel, Naga, and Toong wards will be moved to Gangtok’s Upper Bojoghari. On February 8, land parchas will be distributed, and then permanent home construction will start, he stated.
During the October 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), which caused floods along the Teesta basin, the Toong-Naga region was one of the worst-hit locations. Roads, bridges, and communities in North Sikkim were all harmed by the catastrophe. The Toong-Naga road was severely damaged by further landslides, which forced some families to relocate and cut off communication.
The Toong-Naga Road’s reopening, following months of restoration efforts by the state government and federal agencies, is a significant step towards normalcy, a resurgence of tourism, and the rehabilitation of North Sikkim’s impacted citizens.
For their exceptional contributions to disaster management, Lieutenant Colonel Seeta Ashok Shelke of the Indian Army was chosen for the prestigious Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2026, while the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) was chosen in the institutional category.
Shelke receives recognition for spearheading extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts in the Wayanad district of Kerala throughout the floods and landslides of 2024. In order to guarantee prompt evacuation, aid distribution, and the restoration of vital services, she collaborated with local leaders and civil authorities.
The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar is an annual award given by the Central government to persons and organisations that have demonstrated exceptional and selfless contribution in the field of disaster management. Every year on January 23, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birthday, the award is given out.
