Restore road damaged on July 31: Mandi villagers to DC

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 29

The residents of Tarswan panchayat in the remote Chauhar valley of Mandi district have appealed to the district administration to urgently restore road connectivity, which was disrupted due to flashfloods on July 31 this year. The flashfloods caused significant damage to the road, leaving the area without an essential transportation link.

Yesterday, representatives of the village such as Zila Parishad member Sharda Thakur, BDC chairperson Sheela Devi, and panchayat pradhan Jai Singh met the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, to discuss the adverse impact of the damaged road connectivity. They said that the lack of road link had disrupted their daily life, leading to escalation of transportation cost and complicating the situation during medical emergencies.

Sharda highlighted the critical nature of the situation, describing life in the panchayat as “hellish” without the road. The increased carriage charges, they said, were straining the residents financially, while medical emergencies were becoming life-threatening due to difficulty in reaching the nearest hospital.

She also addressed a recent complication where a local resident obstructed road construction efforts. She said that this motorable road had been in place for about 20 years without any objection but had now become a point of contention following the disaster.

The community leaders urged the Deputy Commissioner to prioritise and expedite the road restoration work to alleviate the hardships faced by Tarswan panchayat residents. The prompt action was essential to restore normalcy and ensure the safety and convenience of local people.