Slow pace of NH construction irks locals

Hamirpur, March 6

The slow speed of construction of the national highway (Atari-Manali section) between Hamirpur and Sarkaghat has added to the woes of villagers as the construction company is violating construction norms.

It is learnt that the company rarely sprays water on the road and the dust enters houses and shops of the nearby areas. Raj Kumar, a resident of Thana Drogan village, near here, said the villagers had requested the construction company to properly spray water on the road to control the dust but it did not pay heed to their request. He said the dusty environment was causing breathing problems to the residents of the area.

It may be recalled that this 40-km section of the highway will connect with the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway near Mandi. It would bypass five villages in the district, namely Thana Drogan, Barara, Cholthra, Kohlusidh and Awahdevi. Once built, this section of the NH would reduce distance between Hamirpur and Awahdevi by 5 km. This highway is 265-km long and 141 km of this NH has been completed. The Centre had sanctioned Rs 1,470 crore for this national highway.

Susheel Kumar, site engineer, said the pace of construction work would be increased soon. He said water was regularly sprinkled on the highway and the frequency would be increased as the climate gets hotter.