High Court issues notices on PILs over Hamirpur-Mandi highway widening

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the government authorities and private contractors on two public interest litigation (PILs) raising serious concerns over the alleged unscientific widening of the Hamirpur-Mandi National Highway to two-lane standard, leading to extensive landslides, debris dumping and environmental degradation.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj observed that the matter required examination to ensure that environmental safeguards and scientific construction practices were duly followed. The court sought the replies of the authorities concerned and listed the matter for further consideration on November 24.

One the petitioners Anupama Singh contended that the project passes through hilly terrains, covering 124 km. Of this, 109.59 km is proposed to be widened and land acquisition is planned for about 104 km. For the remaining 5 km, only repair work is proposed as this road section has already been developed into a two-lane road with paved shoulders.

The highway traverses six tehsils -- Hamirpur, Bhoranj, Sarkaghat, Dharampur, Kotli and Mandi -- and 97 villages. The petitioners alleged that the contractors were executing the project in an unscientific and unsafe manner, leading to heavy landslides, uncontrolled dumping of debris and boulders into natural nallahs, thereby blocking the natural water flow. These activities had reportedly damaged houses and agricultural land of local residents.

The court was also shown photographs depicting the destruction of adjoining construction and the accumulation of muck along roads and water channels.