Four-laning of Baddi-Nalagarh highway stretch to begin soon

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, January 1

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has finally issued a notification for four-laning the Baddi-Nalagarh stretch of the national highway-21-A today, thus paving the way for commencement of work.

The notification, while defining the 17.6 km stretch lying between Baddi and Nalagarh, has stated that the people affected by this land acquisition could file their objections with the relevant authority and that they would be accorded an opportunity to air their grievances.

Kundan Lalta, an official, entrusted with the task to work out the land acquisition, said an area of 300 bighas would be acquired between Baddi and Nalagarh and this would cover as many as 26 villages.

An amount of Rs 87 crore has been sanctioned for acquiring land by the NHAI and various types of land , including government and non-government, falling under acquisition would now be segregated. Haripur Sandholi, Sheetalpur, Swaraj Mazra, Kalyanpur, Kenduwala, Malpur, Bhud, Malkhu Majra, Harraipur, Kishenpur, Manpura, Beli Khol, Saned, Tahliwala, Dhana, Nalka, Beli Deod, Khera Chak, Khera Neel, Dadi Kania, Kirpalpur, Rakhram Singh and Dadi Bhola villages were among those whose land would be acquired.

Since the passenger car unit (PCU), which is the daily movement of vehicles on this highway, was more than 25,000 vehicles as per a survey conducted by the NHAI, the four-laning of this highway has become important. The existing road which is unable to handle the heavy inflow of traffic has become a death trap where fatal accidents have become an everyday happening and no amount of policing has helped in lowering the rate of accidents.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved Rs 510 crore for four-laning of the 36-km highway from Pinjore to Swarghat. In the first phase, four-laning of the existing two-lane Pinjore-Nalagarh road was being undertaken. In the next phase, a stretch between Nalagarh-Swarghat, where double-laning was yet to be completed, would be considered.

According to a survey conducted by the NHAI for four-laning of this highway, 104 culverts, 16 minor bridges and 5 major bridges will be constructed.