Kangra-Mubarikpur road too congested, needs widening

Ravinder Sood

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PALAMPUR, June 23

The Kangra-Mubarikpur national highway, which links Kangra and Chamba districts with Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur, needs immediate widening keeping in view the high volume of traffic and the accidents.

In the tourist season, thousands of vehicles use the highway daily but the zig-zag narrow road causes inconvenience to commuters. The width of the highway is the same as it was 30 years ago despite the fact there has been manifold increase in the traffic, but no steps have been initiated for widening the highway.

Frequent heavy jams

• Pilgrims visiting Chintpurni, Jwalamukhi, Kangra, Chamunda and Baglamukhi shrines also use the highway
• During the Navratri fair, the highway sees traffic jams for hours, causing inconvenience to the commuters
• The stretch between Dehra Gopipur and Mubarikpur has also turned into the accident zone

Pilgrims visiting Chintpurni, Jwalamukhi, Kangra, Chamunda and Baglamukhi shrines also use the highway. During the Navratri fair, the highway sees traffic jams for hours, causing inconvenience to the public.

Though the state government has improved the condition of the highway between Ranital and Mubarakpur, it is yet to be four-laned. There are regular traffic jams at Dehra Gopipur, Bharwain, Mubarakpur and Ranital. The stretch between Dehra Gopipur and Mubarikpur has also turned into an accident zone.

A senior officer said the highway was being looked after by the NH wing of the PWD and there was no plan to upgrade it into four-lane. However, keeping in view the high volume of traffic, a proposal was being submitted to the government with a request to forward it to the NHAI for its widening up to Amb via Mubarikpur.