Take steps to maintain roads before rainy season, says HP High Court

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, June 16

The HP High Court has directed the state government to take steps to ensure that roads, other than national highways, are in a good condition before the beginning of the rainy season so that the essential supplies of food, fuel etc., can be maintained.

The court also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take steps to move big rocks and boulders from the middle of the Beas so that the flow of water is not obstructed leading to the river water overflowing and damaging the adjacent road and structures.

It further ordered the government to take steps in advance to evacuate communities residing alongside the riverbanks so that there is no loss of life in the coming rainy season. While passing the order, the court listed the matter for further hearing on July 3 with a direction to the government to file a status report informing steps taken by it and the NHAI in this regard.

The court passed the order after perusing the fresh status report filed by the NHAI regarding the National Highway-21 (Kullu-Manali highway) and also the report of the state PWD. The NHAI’s report stated that the restoration work on some roads, which were badly damaged due to heavy rainfall in July and August, 2023, had been done.

After perusing the report, the court observed that “the minutes of the meeting held on May 28, 2024, and chaired by the Chief Secretary in which NHAI officials also participated, present a disturbing picture. The minutes show that the Chairman had pointed out that after the restoration of national highways, the NHAI has not taken any measures with regard to protection work alongside the Beas flowing through the area in Kullu district.”

The court observed that “the minutes of the meeting also refer to the dredging issue and a decision appears to have been taken to undertake the exercise of shifting boulders from the riverbed by the NHAI for the present without relying on the state machinery since it was found not advisable to do dredging during the monsoon season due to excessive river flow and that such dredging shall be undertaken only during the lean season. It is pity that this exercise was not done during the lean season between October 2023 and May 2024.”

The court passed the order on a public interest litigation on the issue of the maintenance of national highways and others state roads.