Chamba-Holi road reopens after 2 months

Chamba, June 19

The Chamba-Holi road, which remained blocked for over two months due to recurring landslides, was restored to vehicular traffic on Wednesday, bringing much-needed relief to residents.

The road was completely closed due to a massive landslide on April 16, cutting off dozens of villages in Holi tehsil of tribal Bhamrour subdivision of Chamba district.

The road closure had also brought the work on the 240-MW JSW Power Project to a complete halt.

Continuous landslides had posed significant challenges to the restoration work. The administration also faced public outrage over the delay in the reopening of the road.

During the Lok Sabha election, the road closure and delay in its early restoration became a key issue. Polling parties had to take alternative routes to reach their destinations. Despite effort by JSW and the Public Works Department (PWD), a 200-metre stretch of the road kept collapsing, delaying the restoration work. PWD Executive Engineer Meet Kumar said while minor slides are still occurring, a safe passage has been created for vehicles.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repswal visited the landslide-hit stretch. He said although the road had been restored to vehicular traffic, it would be kept closed at night due to the risk of landslides.