Rabi Jhora landslide damages tunnel wall of Sevoke–Rangpo rail line

REZA PRADHAN

DARJEELING,: A section of the slope protection wall near Tunnel No. 7 of the under-construction Sevoke–Rangpo railway line was damaged by a landslide early Tuesday morning at Rabi Jhora, following several days of continuous rainfall. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.

The affected tunnel forms part of the ambitious railway project that will connect Sevoke near Siliguri in West Bengal to Rangpo, the border town in Sikkim, significantly improving connectivity to the Himalayan State. The location of the incident is also said to be near the proposed Teesta Railway Station.

According to initial reports, one side of the tunnel's protective wall gave way due to the saturated soil and ongoing monsoon activity in the region. Officials attribute the damage to persistent rainfall that has weakened several slopes along the railway alignment.

In a press statement, the Indian Railways shared that an incident of slope failure due to landslide on account of heavy rainfall has taken place near Tunnel no. 7 of the Sevoke-Rangpo project being constructed by IRCON in Sikkim.

“As per reports from the field, there are no casualties or injuries to any workers or general public. There is no loss of any machinery or railway assets. The landslide is about 30 metres away from the tunnel location and there is no danger to the tunnel. Further, in view of the heavy rainfall, precautionary measures had already been taken to remove the men and machinery from the site in advance. Work of debris removal and protection of the site is being started,” said the Indian Railways.

The Sevoke–Rangpo rail project closely follows the alignment of NH-10, the key highway linking Sikkim and Kalimpong to the plains. That route too has been affected, with a major portion of NH-10 at Sethijhora collapsing on August 3. Due to safety concerns, vehicular movement along this stretch has been suspended until 6 pm on August 6. Cracks have also been reported in the surrounding area.

The Sevoke–Rangpo Rail Line comprises 14 tunnels with a combined length of 38.64 km. The total length of the railway line is projected to be 44.98 km, of which 90 percent (41.54 km) lies within the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area, and 3.44 km in Sikkim.

This is not the first time the project has seen safety concerns. In June 2021, a tragic accident occurred at Tunnel No. 10 near Bhalukhola, close to Melli, where two labourers lost their lives after being trapped by a sudden cave-in of mud and rock during tunneling work. Seven workers were trapped during that incident, which took place in a 5 km long tunnel being constructed to connect Bhalukhola to Tarkhola.

As monsoon rains continue to batter the region, concerns remain about the stability of construction zones along the alignment. Authorities are expected to assess the extent of the latest damage and carry out necessary repairs to prevent further risks to life and infrastructure.