Shillai road closed after landslide

Tribune News Service

Solan, January 19

Vehicular taffic on the Meenus-Shillai section of National Highway (NH)-707 in Sirmaur district has been put on hold as the excavated hill was vulnerable to landslides.

Three persons, including two excavator operators, and a driver of a Traveller Trax had lost their lives after being hit by big boulders which had rolled down from the excavated hill on Monday.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Shillai, Suresh Kumar, informed that in a bid to avert another mishap vehicular traffic has been put on hold at Meenus on the Meenus-Shillai section of NH-707.

“Some big boulders were hanging precariously on the excavated hill and this could endanger the motorists plying on the highway. The situation was being closely monitored by the staff,” informed Kumar.

Vehicular traffic has been put on hold at Y Point at Meenus which leads to Vikas Nagar in Uttarakhand and joins Chopal in Shimla district.

SDM Shillai visited the spot today to take stock of the situation where the staff of the private company, Datarwal Construction Company, engaged in widening the highway, was also present.

“The work to widen the highway has been put on hold and technical expertise was being sought to avert such mishaps in the future. The local residents had to take 15 to 17 km detour from arterial roads through Ronhat while traffic from Chopal had been put on hold for the moment. Though the arterial roads took longer time the traffic was not disrupted in the area,” informed the SDM.

This is the second such instance after August when the NH-707 was closed for traffic. Since the existing road was narrow and comprised fragile hill strata, it was not only vulnerable to landslides but widening it was a Herculean task given its risk to the commuters.

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