GANGTOK, Oct. 30: Certain developments initiated by the state government has created hassles for tourists during the peak tourist season in Gangtok town. The the state PHED department had dug holes in places of the main town at Mahatma Gandhi Marg to repair the sewerage pipes connection. “This is the peak tourist season where we can earn good money by selling Chinese products to tourists but repair work started by the department will really hamper our business a lot,” said Mr Rajesh Ararwal a shopkeeper of the town. “Earlier we used to sell our products like hot cakes but for the past two days there has been no any customers. At least the department should start their works in the off-season,” he said. The pedestrians and the tourists complained about the potholes made in the middle of the road that created inconvenience. “To buy a small thing we have to negotiate all the mud and dust to reach the shop located in other side of the road which really disturbing us,” said Mrs Parvati Lohar a pedestrian. “At least the government should have planned their works before they started it.” “I visit Sikkim every year but the sudden change in the picture of the Gangtok town given us bad impression and had created a lot of hassle for us,” said Mr Joydeep Haldar a tourist from Hoogly. “We could not buy anything so we are returning back home empty handed” he added. The department is however, replacing the old sewerage pipes in the town area as they received several request to change the line. “About 90 per cent of the old sewerage line was silted so we are replacing the old lines and laying the new lines. We are also making collection chamber in every alley of the town with 150 meters of slope pipes so that we can open it to check timely,” said Mr PS Basnett secretary PHED department. “We had dug 14 ft deep to repair 1400 meters of the sewerage line connected the entire town so we'll completed our works within a month,” he added. Meanwhile, no vehicles are plying at the main market, which are turning through Kazi road and Bhanu path road. “We have requested the concerned department to finish their work as soon as possible so that we could restore the traffic flow in town” said DIG Range Mr Akshay Sachdeva.
