Residents oppose changes in Pathankot-Mandi National Highway alignment
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, December 16
The residents of Baijnath, Paprola and Jogindernagar are agitated over the decision of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to change the alignment of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane project between Paror and Padhar on the 100-km stretch falling in Kangra and Mandi districts.
A deputation of residents of Dehan and Panchrukhi along with local MP Kishan Kapoor met Union Surface and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently in New Delhi and opposed the decision of the NHAI to change the alignment. They said that new proposal, if implemented, would result in large-scale dislocations of commercial and residential properties between Paror and Panchrukhi. Therefore, the NHAI should review the proposal and take affected parties into confidence to avoid the dismantling of shops and houses.
The NHAI has sent a proposal to the state government and the NHAI head office seeking permission for changing alignment of the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane project between Paror and Padhar falling in Kangra and Mandi districts.
Information gathered reveals that the NHAI has made various changes in its original detailed project report (DPR) for the 219-km strategic road project that links Pathankot with Leh. The project is being executed in five phases between Pathankot and Mandi.
As per new proposal, phase III, IV and V of the project had now been restricted to two lanes instead of four lanes. As per the original DPR, there was a proposal to construct four lanes up to Mandi in all five phases. However, the NHAI has decided to construct four lanes only in the first two phases between Pathankot and Paror (Palampur). The proposed highway will pass through Paror, Dehan, Patti Badehar, Panchrukhi, Rakkar, Mejharna and Sheetla Mata temple lower areas of Jogindernagar passing mountain belt. People these days are spending sleepless nights fearing dislocations of houses and shops.
If this proposal of the NHAI to change of alignment is approved, Maranda, Palampur, Baijnath, Paprola, Chauntra and Jogindernagar, major towns of Kangra and Mandi districts, will not be part of the new highway. Earlier there was a proposal to construct bypasses to these towns, but in changed circumstances, no bypasses would be constructed and these towns would continue to face traffic congestion.
After the change in the alignment of the Pathankot-Mandi road widening project, the NHAI has abandoned a 50-km stretch of the old busy highway that lies between 61 Mile and Jogindernagar. In this section of the highway, no maintenance work has been carried out in the past two years. This has led to increasing accidents owing to heavy traffic. Most bridges in this part of the highway are over 100 years old. Regular traffic jams on the highway can be witnessed causing inconvenience to the public.
When asked, a senior officer of the NHAI said that the matter was still pending with the state government and the NHAI head office for a final decision.
