BBN industry rues delay in repair of bridges

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, May 4

The lack of repair and maintenance of the Nalagarh-Baddi-Pinjore highway and the restoration of the damaged bridges have been causing hardship to commuters, including industrialists of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial cluster.

Three bridges — one in Baddi over Balad river and two in the neighbouring Haryana — had suffered colossal damage during the rains.

‘Crucial trade route’

Despite repeated representations to the authorities concerned, the issue has been left unresolved for long. The Pinjore-Nalagarh road, used by many people daily, is a crucial link between the BBN industrial hub and Panchkula district. However, the poor maintenance of this road has caused immense inconvenience to the commuters. — YS Guleria, Gen Secy, BBN Industries Association

‘Bridges to be open soon’

The key bridge connecting Baddi over Balad river would be open to traffic by mid-May, while work is underway on the other two bridges in the adjoining Haryana. While two lanes of one bridge would be open to traffic by the end of June, the work on the other one is in an advanced stage and would be finished in the next few months. — Anand Dahiya, Project Director, NHAI, Shimla

In a bid to ease the troubles of commuters, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had constructed temporary structures such as a causeway parallel to the damaged Balad bridge. This was done to restore Baddi’s connectivity to nearby areas of Punjab and Haryana.

A separate path was created for heavy trucks. In the absence of a proper road, driving through the muddy temporary paths was an arduous task and led to wear and tear of vehicles. Forced to cross potholes on the highway, the motorists driving in BBN rued the lack of timely repair.

Industrialists were also inconvenienced at Dhabota in Nalagarh, where the bridge had collapsed and motorists used the riverbed to commute.

Yet another bridge over Mahadev river in Nalagarh had suffered damage. The Public Works Department has sought permission from the Election Commission to award its tenders for repair.

Members of the BBN Industries Association, Baddi, have expressed concerned about the delay in the repair of the potholed road between Pinjore and Nalagarh by NHAI. “Despite repeated representations to the authorities concerned, the issue has been left unresolved for long. The Pinjore-Nalagarh road, used by many people daily, is a crucial link between the BBN industrial hub and Panchkula district. It serves as a vital transportation route for residents and businesses. However, the poor maintenance of this road has caused immense inconvenience to the commuters,” said BBN Industries Association general secretary YS Guleria.

“The potholes on the road have not only made travel extremely uncomfortable and hazardous, but they have also caused significant damage to vehicles, leading to costly repairs and replacements. Moreover, the risk of fatal accidents looms over the commuters passing through this stretch due to the potholes,” he added.

The association urged the authorities concerned to expedite the repair the potholes on the Pinjore-Nalagarh road on NH-21A.

NHAI was four-laning the Baddi-Nalagarh highway, where new bridges were being constructed in place of the damaged old structures.

NHAI (Shimla) Project Director Anand Dahiya said, “The key bridge connecting Baddi over Balad river would be open to traffic by mid-May, while work is underway in the other two bridges in the adjoining Haryana. While two lanes of one bridge would be open for traffic by the end of June, the work on the other one is in an advanced stage and would be finished in the next few months.”

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