Bridges being built, dirt causeways in BBN belt turn journeys into nightmare

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 24

The motorists driving in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt are facing severe inconvenience with the causeways being constructed in place of damaged bridges lacking tarring and maintenance.

Three bridges had collapsed during monsoon last year at the Pinjore-Nalagarh National Highway 21, which was being four-laned. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had constructed causeways along the damaged bridges to restore connectivity. Work to construct new bridges was underway and these causeways were temporary paths.

“Damage caused to road connectivity during the monsoon season has made the situation worse with collapse of three bridges on Pinjore-Nalagarh road,” rued BBN Industries Association president Rajiv Aggarwal. “Causeways have been built in place of these collapsed bridges but no tarring has been done on the causeways, as a result of which the surface of all the causeways is uneven.”

Road infrastructure has always been a serious concern since the development of BBN as an industrial area.

“The causeway created along the Balad River is the longest one and is the main entry point leading to BBN. In the absence of tarring, it is highly uneven and there are several potholes on the road. This slows down the movement of traffic and leads to massive traffic jams multiple times a day,” said Aggarwal.

This has become a major cause of harassment for the commuters and is also a cause of concern for villagers through which this causeway is passing. “The entire road stretch of NH 21A from Pinjore to Nalagarh is full of potholes and requires immediate repair. We have written many letters to the NHAI Shimla Project Director and Delhi officials but no heed is being paid to maintain the road and causeways,” remarked Aggarwal.

The association has now requested the state government to intervene in the matter and ensure repair and maintenance of roads connecting the BBN area so that the industrialists and their workforce can travel without any hassle.

The BBN belt houses more than 90 per cent of the state’s industry and thousands of vehicles, including multi-axle vehicles, enter and leave this industrial cluster everyday. The roads face an immense wear-and-tear owing to the heavy goods- laden vehicles. The causeways, which were constructed about six months ago, emit a lot of dust as are not tarred, adding to the air pollution in the area.

Road infrastructure: always a serious concern

Damage caused to road connectivity during the monsoon season has made the situation worse with collapse of three bridges on Pinjore-Nalagarh road. Causeways have been built in place of these collapsed bridges but no tarring has been done on the causeways, as a result of which the surface of all the causeways is uneven. The entire road stretch of NH 21A from Pinjore to Nalagarh is full of potholes and requires immediate repair. We have written many letters to the NHAI Shimla Project Director and Delhi officials but no heed is being paid to maintain the road and causeways. — Rajiv Aggarwal, BBN Industries Association President