Mangan district admn to issue permits to tourists to visit Lachen in North Sikkim from March 9

Gangtok, Mar 8 (PTI) The Mangan district administration and Tourism department will issue permits to tourists to visit popular North Sikkim destinations like Lachen and Gurudongmar lake from March 9, an official said on Sunday.

Tourists and travel agencies may apply for permits through the district collectorate in Mangan or through authorised travel operators as per government guidelines, he said.

Mangan District Collector Anant Jain said permits will be issued to tourists for trips to Lachen and other areas in North Sikkim from Monday by the district administration and the tourism department.

The Mangan district had stopped issuing permits to tourists to visit Lachen and Gurudongmar lake, and many areas in North Sikkim after a glacial lake flood outburst hit the area in 2023 and damaged roads and bridges.

The district administration has also issued a traffic advisory related to the newly completed bailey suspension bridge built over the Taram Chu. The bridge is on the Chungthang–Lachen Road and is expected to play an important role in restoring connectivity to the region.

The 400-foot-long bailey suspension bridge, constructed with a load capacity of 12 tonne, was opened for regulated vehicular movement last month by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

In order to ensure safety and protect the structural integrity of the bridge, specific traffic restrictions have been put in place.

As per the guidelines issued by the district collector, only light vehicles within the permissible load capacity will be allowed to cross the bridge.

Additionally, only one vehicle will be permitted to cross the bridge at a time to prevent structural stress and ensure safe passage, it said.

The Superintendent of Police, Mangan, has been directed to deploy adequate police personnel in and around the bridge to regulate traffic and ensure strict compliance with the restrictions.

Overloaded or heavy vehicles will not be permitted to cross the bridge, and strict monitoring will be carried out to enforce the "one vehicle at a time" rule. PTI COR RG