Dharampur NH closure comes as jolt

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 26

The district administration’s move to close the Parwanoo-Dharampur stretch of National Highway-5 without any prior information inconvenienced commuters through the day today. The move to suspend traffic had become imminent as boulders sitting precariously along the hill slope posed a serious threat to commuters. The administration, however, should have publicised about the exercise at least two days in advance, sources said.

The suspension of traffic was announced from 9 pm to 4 am, but the work stretched on till 10 am today. This led to a huge traffic influx on all alternative roads, including the Bhojnagar-Chakki-ka-Mor and Parwanoo-Jangeshu-Garkhal stretches.

With scant police staff posted to regulate the vehicular movement on these narrow roads, traffic moved at a snail’s pace.

Rakesh Kumar, travelling from Chandigarh to Shimla, said the very charm of going to a hill station had been defeated due to the traffic jam that lasted for hours.

The excavation work was overseen by the ADM and the SDM till 4 am. The traffic movement turned chaotic after 9 am. Though efforts were made by officials to disseminate information about the highway closure through social media last evening, the message could not reach far and wide. It being a weekend, commuters continued to face traffic snarls throughout the day.

ADM Vivek Chandel, however, maintained that adequate policemen were deputed to regulate traffic. Despite all efforts, the traffic management turned chaotic after 9 am, he said. With the new railway overbridge opened for traffic and the excavation work over, the situation was sure to improve, he said. Meanwhile, several aspirants of HPAS examination travelling to Solan had a harrowing time.