Kolkata, Jul 8: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the reconstructed Dudhia bridge over the Balason river in Darjeeling district, restoring a key road link between Siliguri and Mirik that had been snapped after the earlier bridge was washed away last month.
The Bailey bridge, rebuilt in just 20 days by the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps, the PWD, and the district administration, has restored connectivity for people commuting between Siliguri and Mirik town, who were previously forced to take long detours.
Addressing the inauguration programme, Adhikari thanked all agencies involved in completing the project in a short span.
“On behalf of the state government, I salute all those involved in the construction of this bridge in such a short time,” he said.
The temporary hume pipe bridge, which was washed away last month, was constructed after the original Dudhia bridge collapsed during the October 2025 floods. A permanent bridge is also being built adjacent to the collapsed one.
The CM said the new Bailey bridge would ensure uninterrupted communication, particularly for people living in the Darjeeling hills.
Adhikari also announced a series of measures to strengthen disaster preparedness in north Bengal.
He said a permanent 50-member civil defence rescue team equipped with modern disaster response equipment would be stationed in the hills to assist the police, Army and fire services during emergencies.
“The state government is also procuring advanced disaster management equipment and plans to engage retired Army personnel on a contractual basis through the Sainik Board until March next year to bolster emergency response,” he said.
“In addition, dedicated Civil Defence ‘Agniveer’ units will be raised, including one each for Kolkata, Sagar Island and the Darjeeling hills covering Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong,” he added.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista welcomed the restoration of the bridge, describing it as an example of effective coordination between the state government and the Army.
He said the restored bridge would significantly improve connectivity between Siliguri and Mirik.(PTI)
