Sikkim MP Demands Urgent Repairs for Pakyong Airport Slope

Gangtok: Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi this week. He pushed for immediate action on the failing slope below the Pakyong Airport runway. The site has been a disaster zone for months. Delays now mean higher costs and bigger safety risks for the Himalayan state's only airport.

Subba warned that the slope collapse is wrecking National Highway 717A. Locals are struggling to travel. Flight operations remain grounded, hitting tourism, trade, and emergency medical services hard. The MP stated: "Prolonged delays will escalate safety risks, inflate project costs, and extend the closure of the Himalayan state's sole air link."

Work stalled through two monsoon seasons while technical studies sat on a desk. The soil is washing away. Every passing day makes the eventual fix more complex. Subba wants all geological surveys and statutory clearances finished before the current monsoon ends. This timeline would allow crews to start repairs as soon as the weather breaks. Minister Naidu promised to treat the restoration as a priority and start the necessary measures.