Sikkim: BRO rescues over 10K tourists stranded due to snow, landslides in March

Sikkim received over 147 mm of rain in the first 20 days of March, nearly 70% more rain than normal

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has assisted more than 10,000 tourists and over 3000 vehicles stuck in various places in Sikkim due to heavy snowfall, landslides, snow slides, avalanches etc. in March, 2023.

Tourists were mostly stranded in–Nathu La Pass, Harbhajan Baba Mandir, Tsongmo (Changgu) Lake, Zuluk, Lachen, Lachung, Gurudongmar Lake, Zero Point and Valley of Flowers in North and East Sikkim.

In comparison to previous years, this month’s maximum and minimum temperatures remained 5 to 10 degrees below average. In comparison to the average rainfall of 87 mm, the State received over 147 mm of rain in the first 20 days of March, nearly 70% more rain than normal which resulted in landslides, snow slides, avalanches, road disruptions and blockages occurring across the state.

Various tourists and their vehicles/ taxis, who were visiting Sikkim to enjoy the glory of spring got stranded in these land and snow slides.

Meanwhile, BRO with their teams spread all over the state cleared the snow-covered roads and gave them shelter, food, and warm clothes and save their lives.

After months of freezing temperatures, spring arrived in Sikkim in March, giving the icy slopes of the Sikkim Himalayas new life and turning them into bright hues of green.

Around this time, as the state’s tourism season began, visitors from all over the nation and even foreign nations started coming to the Himalayan state to witness the magnificent transformation of the mountains.

However, Sikkim suffered up the strain of the heavy snowfall this year. Transporters and taxi drivers faced difficult time as tourists cancelled their trips due to incidents of heavy snowfall and road blockages after hundreds of tourists became stranded at several sites throughout the state.

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