NHAI: Mandi-Manali national highway will be opened before October 15

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KULLU, AUGUST 29

Santosh Kumar Yadav, chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said that the Mandi-Manali national highway would be made Volvo-worthy before October 15.

Addressing mediapersons during his visit to Manali today to review the damages caused due to floods, he said that the national highway had been heavily damaged due to rains. The NHAI would repair the road on priority so that the tourism of Himachal Pradesh could be back on track. He said that the four-member technical committee had prepared the draft report of the damage caused to the fourlane road. The committee, headed by retired Additional Director General of the Ministry RK Pandey, comprised two experts from the IIT Mandi and Roorkee and a geologist.

“The committee has given several suggestions regarding the reconstruction of the flood-damaged fourlane highway. The national highway will be constructed keeping all the factors in mind,” he said.

The officer visited Rangri, Aloo Ground, Klath and 17 Mile and took stock of the situation. He also met the local people and listened to their grievances and suggestions. The people urged the chairman to repair the roads as soon as possible as the tourism business had collapsed due to damaged roads.

The chairman assured the people that work would be done on a war footing. Street lights would be installed along the highway from Patlikul to Manali. The issue of the danger posed to Chhiyal village by a swamp in Rangdi will also be resolved.

Earlier, the chairman did an aerial inspection of the damage caused by landslides in Pandoh and Kainchi Mor and reached Manali by helicopter. He also visited the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang.

Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretary Public Works Department Bharat Kheda and NHAI Regional Officer Shimla Abdul Basit and Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg were present with the chairman.