Locals demand repair, upgrade of ‘apple road’

Residents of several panchayats of the Rajgarh block held a protest at Kangoo’s Jubri in the Pajhota valley over the deteriorating condition of the Sanora-Neripul-Chhaila road, which is used to transport apples from the upper Shimla area to various fruit mandis of the state. “We are demanding immediate repair of the road and its upgradation from major district road to state highway, and a complete ban on the movement of heavy vehicles,” said Rupender Singh, pradhan, Dhanach Manwa gram panchayat.

He said the road was approved for vehicles carrying goods only up to 9 tonnes, but overloaded trucks weighing 25-30 tonnes ply on the road, increasing the risk of accidents. “Every other day some big truck or pick-up meets with an accident, causing long traffic jams. Due to movement of heavy vehicles and traffic jams, the local people are facing a lot of inconvenience. Sometimes, people do not reach even hospitals in time,” he said.