NHAI gets forest clearance for Thanpuri-Parour road stretch in Kangra district

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 8

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has given clearance for the 20-km stretch of the Pathankot-Mandi highway four-lane project between Thanpuri and Parour village in Kangra district. The work on this stretch has been hanging fire for the past one year in the absence of forest clearance as a large chunk of forestland was involved.

Strategic project

• This 219-km road links Pathankot to Leh, Ladakh and other forward areas
• Considering its strategic importance, the Central Government wants to complete it at the earliest
• The travel distance between Pathankot and Mandi will reduce from 219 km to 171 km once the road is completed

The NHAI will soon take up construction work. The width of the road will be between 35 to 60 metres depending upon the availability of land. A 5-km bypass will also be constructed in Nagrota Bagwan to avoid the dislocation of markets and human settlements. Besides, a flyover will also be constructed at Malan over the Pathankot-Joginder Nagar rail line.

Abdul Basit, Regional Officer, NHAI, said global bids for this stretch of the project were opened in New Delhi last year. The work worth Rs 1,000 crore was awarded to a private construction company. The road construction under the first phase of the project between Pathankot and Rajol was already in progress.

Basit said land had already been acquired for the stretch. The Centre’s decision to grant environment clearance would ensure the early completion of the Rs 8,000-crore highway project, which had been pending since 2017. The company would start the work after completing formalities.

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