Slushy roads hit apple transportation

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 30

Farmers have voiced anger over the poor condition of major link roads, including the Theog-Kharapathar-Hatkoti-Rohru road.

They said commute had become difficult on the slushy roads.

Small and marginal farmers, including Dalits and Muslims, residing in Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohru, Theog, Rampur, Chopal, Banjar-Nirmand-Anni-Bishlidhar in Kullu, Karsog-Gohar-Churag-Chatri in Mandi in Kullu are resorting to premature harvesting of the fruit. They fear that they might lose their orchards in view of the ongoing encroachment drive.

They said the Theog-Kotkhai-Hatkoti-Rohru, Sainj-Deha- Chharki-Chopal-Nerwa, Narkanda-Baghi-Tikkar and Chopal-Dewat and Chopal-Bamta, Maroag-Matal roads, the main roads in the apple belt, needed repairs.

The farmers take the roads to transport the fruit. But potholes and boulders have turned the commute into a nightmare, said the farmers. “Let alone heavy vehicles, even small vehicles cannot pass the roads,” said Ramesh Chand, a farmer from Dewat.

The High Court order staying the axing of apple trees on the encroached land has come as relief for the farmers. But the eviction stares into their face.

Officials are busy clearing encroachments. They are not concerned about the infrastructure. The roads are in bad shape, resented the farmers of Ghoond in Theog, Sandhasu and Kanteri, Kotkhai, who lost portions of their orchards.

The condition of the Theog-Hatkoti- Rohru highway on the Nihari-Patshal-Kharapathar-Jubbal-Hatkoti stretch has turned from bad to worse. “Trucks often get stuck in the slushy potholes while traffic jams are common even as the apple season has yet to gain pace,” said the farmers.

Chhada and Chhada construction company had promised to metal the Theog-Guma and Hatkoti-Rohru stretch from June onwards. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had directed the company to carry out the work on the 1-km length stretch at Kharapathar, but it did not heed the direction.

PWD field engineers claimed that maintenance and repair would be resumed after the rainy season while the clearing of debris was done regularly.

“If premature apple continues to enter the markets, the prices may crash before the apple season picks up,” said the farmers. “The government is responsible for such a situation,” said Rakesh Singha, president, HP Apple Farmers Association.

In bad shape

The Theog-Kotkhai-Hatkoti-Rohru, Sainj-Deha- Chharki-Chopal-Nerwa, Narkanda-Baghi-Tikkar and Chopal-Dewat and Chopal-Bamta, Maroag-Matal roads need repairs.