Landslide-prone Nigulsari road partially restored

The landslide-prone Nigulsari road in Kinnaur district has been restored partially to allow the passage of vehicles carrying apple and vegetables to market. Frequent landslides and shooting stones falling from the hills have blocked the road for over a week. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi was camping near the site over the past four days to oversee the restoration work.

“Trucks loaded with apple have been waiting for the road to open for over a week. Finally, the road was restored on Wednesday to let stranded vehicles to cross as further delay would have damaged the fruit and vegetables,” said Govind Kumar, vice-pradhan of Tranda gram panchayat.

“Besides apple, vehicles loaded with peas were also stuck. The administration is trying to get as many loaded vehicles as possible pass the vulnerable stretch,” he said.

The blocked stretch had led to long queues of vehicles on both sides. “Apple and vegetable growers have been under a lot of stress. Hopefully, the weather will hold up now and the road will be not be obstructed,” said Govind.

As per a Food and Civil Supplies official, there’s no shortage of essential goods in the district due to the Nigulsari road blockade. “We have an adequate stock of grains in our stores. There are enough local vegetables available. The only problem is the availability of items like bread and milk,” he added.

The minister said all efforts were being made to restore roads to ensure fruit growers and farmers could take their produce to market.