NHAI begins safety audit of under-construction tunnels

Dipender Manta

Mandi, November 26

After the collapse of under-construction tunnel at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand, in which 41 labourers are trapped since November 12, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started audit of under-construction tunnels on the Kiratpur-Manali highway to check the safety measures inside tunnels to avoid such types of incidents.

According to the NHAI, there are seven under-construction tunnels on this highway in the Mandi district, of which four are on Mandi bypass project and three are on Pandoh bypass Takoli project.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued directions to the NHAI to review the safety measures in the under-construction tunnel projects in Himachal.

Varun Chari, project director, Kiratpur-Manali highway, said: “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has given directions to review safety measures in all the under-construction tunnel projects. On the Kiratpur-Manali highway, there are seven tunnel projects under construction in Mandi district. After instructions from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, we have started audit of tunnel projects, which are under construction on this highway.”

He said, “The audit of tunnel projects is on the final leg in Mandi and a report will be submitted in this regard soon to higher authorities in Shimla, from where it will be sent to Delhi for consideration.”

The project director said it was expected that a team of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) would also visit Mandi in the coming days to review the safety measures in under-construction tunnel projects in Mandi.