NH-707 widening causes severe environmental & civic damage
The widening of the Paonta Sahib-Shillai-Gumma National Highway (NH-707) has improved travel for villagers in Sirmaur and Shimla. However, the reckless dumping of muck by private companies executing the work has caused extensive damage to arable land, water supply schemes, and civic infrastructure. A joint committee led by the Shillai SDM, following an inspection at the insistence of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), confirmed these findings.
Naathu Ram, a local resident pursuing the petition before the NGT, expressed frustration that the companies responsible have failed to address the damage despite years of complaints. The committee’s report, assessed by The Tribune, warns that improper disposal of muck from excavation could lead to natural disasters like flash floods in vulnerable areas such as Neriyo and Nera nullah in Shillai.
Villagers report that Neriyo nullah has been flooded with muck multiple times during rains, which then flows into Nera nullah below, creating a high risk of future flooding. The Zero Point-Milla road near the site has become particularly susceptible to such disasters. Despite orders from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for private companies to install pipes to direct water flow and build retaining walls to prevent further erosion, villagers remain skeptical about timely action.
The joint committee also highlighted severe damage to civic infrastructure. Link roads connecting Ashyari village to Ashyari bridge and Chuchva village have been eroded, causing major difficulties for commuters. A rain shelter along this road has also been damaged.
Illegal dumping has also encroached on forest land near Gangtoli village. A retaining wall built along the road to prevent muck from sliding down has already collapsed due to poor construction quality. Additionally, a traditional water channel (Kuhl) near Gangtoli bridge leading to Lohrans Vas village has suffered heavy damage, and several farmers have lost their arable land as their fields are buried under boulders and debris.
Muck was illegally dumped below a crusher near Lohrans Vas village, covering over a kilometer of land toward Shillai. Hundreds of bighas of farmland have been lost, and check dams constructed by the block development office have been severely damaged due to excessive dumping.
Water supply schemes in Naya nullah and Tikker Dhar have also been impacted due to illegal blasting by the private company managing the widening project. In Dhakoli village, massive boulders are now dangerously perched along the road, threatening the safety of commuters. At Naya Daya village, houses above the road risk collapsing due to incomplete restoration efforts.
Despite persistent complaints from villagers, officials have remained largely inactive. Naathu Ram stressed that urgent preventive measures must be implemented before the onset of the monsoon to avoid further damage. He condemned the authorities for their inaction, stating that the environmental devastation caused by the project is both severe and unacceptable. He rued that the so called highway, which was dubbed to be a green corridor, has transformed into a black corridor due to unchecked environment destruction.