Trucks under repair, cement transportation takes a hit

Solan, February 22

Transporters are finding it difficult to meet the demand of vehicles put forth by the Darlaghat and Barmana cement plants of the Adani Group as the vehicle batteries had become dysfunctional due to non-use for the past over two months.

Almost all vehicle repair shops here are flooded with work to recharge batteries and those in queue are being asked to wait for at least two days. The shopkeepers are working overtime to repair the trucks that were not being used since December 15. Theft of fuel from the parked vehicles was also reported at Darlaghat and Barmana. An official of a cement company said very few trucks were available as against the demand put forth by the plant management since yesterday.

“There is also a shortage of drivers as many of them had left for various other places in search of work after the cement plants were shut. They will return by March 1,” said Ramkrishan Sharma, former president of a transporters’ society at

Darlaghat. It would take at least a week to streamline the transportation work after the vehicles were repaired. There were 2,797 trucks at Darlaghat and about 3,500 at Barmana.

Mechanics working overtime

• Almost all vehicle repair shops are flooded with work to recharge batteries; those in queue are being asked to wait for at least two days
• Vehicle mechanics are working overtime to repair the trucks that were not being used since December 15