Slope protection work begins on Parwanoo-Solan road stretch

The much-awaited work to contain the erosion of vulnerable hilly slopes on the Parwanoo-Solan section of the NH-5 has begun.

As the monsoon is receding, the NHAI is now concentrating on slope protection measures. Hill slopes on this 39-km road stretch were severely damaged during the monsoon last year. A 70-m hill had eroded at Chakki Mor in Solan district, leading to the closure of the highway for several days. As against the normal rainfall of 76.6 mm, the state had received 249.6 mm of rain from July 1 to 11 in 2023 and cloudbursts had occurred in the vicinity of the highway, leading to flashfloods and massive landslides.

Damaged last year

• Hill slopes on this 39-km road stretch were severely damaged during the monsoon last year
• A 70-m hill had eroded at Chakki Mor in Solan district, leading to the closure of the highway for several days
• As against the normal rainfall of 76.6 mm, the state had received 249.6 mm of rain from July 1 to 11 in 2023 and cloudbursts had occurred in the vicinity of the highway, leading to flashfloods and massive landslides

Anand Dahiya, Project Director, NHAI, Shimla, said that the slope protection work had finally begun near the tunnel on the Barog bypass where a 50-m stretch was being repaired. Various engineering technologies like shotcrete and netting would be used to protect the hilly slopes. He added that the work, which began on September 15, was in its initial stage and would gather pace in the next few weeks.

Jammu-based SRM Contractors Limited has been awarded the Rs 1.45-crore slope protection work on the 39-km Parwanoo-Solan section of the highway. As many as 26 critical locations, including Chakki Mor, Datiyar, tunnel near the Barog bypass, Sanawara, have been identified.

The Parwanoo-Solan highway stretch was widened to four lanes in April 2021 but the need for slope protection work was felt after hills suffered colossal damage year after year. The stablisation work had been undertaken on a mere 1.5 m to 3 m area on the slopes, which were vertically excavated from 20 m to 30 m. This left the slopes vulnerable to erosion owing of water seepage during the monsoon.

A detailed project report prepared to widen the highway has failed to address the problem of slope protection. GR Infraprojects, a private company, has executed the project to widen this highway stretch for Rs 748 crore.