Villagers flag safety threat as NH widening leaves link road damaged in Shillai
A badly damaged link road along National Highway-707 poses a serious threat to nearly 12,000 people living around Kaffota in the Shillai Assembly constituency of Sirmaur district.
The road that connects several interior villages to the Paonta Sahib-Gumma-Fedizpul stretch of NH-707 and is used by thousands of residents for commuting was severely affected during the ongoing widening work being carried out under a World Bank-funded project worth around Rs 1,356 crore by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Near Shimladhar, close to Kaffota, the original link road connecting Tatiyana, Thontha Jakhal and adjoining villages to NH-707 was cut during the widening process and later realigned at a different location.
Villagers allege that the newly created stretch has a dangerously steep gradient and lacks basic safety features, making routine travel increasingly hazardous. Alarmed by the growing risk, the villagers recently met Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh and Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, urging them to act before the damaged road leads to a major tragedy.
“Crossing the stretch has become a daily gamble with our lives,” said Maya Ram Sharma, a resident of Tatiyana village and a government school teacher. “Buses and heavily loaded vehicles struggle to climb the steep stretch. Schoolchildren, elderly people and daily commuters are constantly at risk.”
Residents from Thontha Jakhal said the situation worsens during night hours and adverse weather. “There are no crash barriers or warning signs and drivers have to negotiate sharp turns on a steep slope. Even a small mistake can result in a major accident,” said Kalyan Singh, a local, adding that several near-miss incidents have already been reported.
“In medical emergencies, ambulances hesitate to use this road, especially at night. Reaching a hospital has become a matter of fear for us,” said Masto Devi, a woman from Mailani village.
The villagers alleged that the link road was altered without obtaining the mandatory No-Objection Certificate from the Public Works Department. Despite repeated complaints over several months, no effective corrective measures have been taken. “We were forced to protest at the Kaffota SDM office because our complaints were ignored,” said Attar Singh, a resident from Sakholi.
The damaged road is the only access route for residents of Tatiyana, Thontha Jakhal, Kota Pab, Shilla, Mailani and Sakholi villages spread across four gram panchayats.
Students, office-goers, farmers and traders depend on this stretch to reach their respective destination.
The residents also pointed out that the width of the link road is shrinking at several places, with cracks developing due to unscientific hill cutting during the highway widening works. Portions of the road are gradually breaking apart, making it extremely unsafe for buses and heavy vehicles to ply.
The locals fear a repeat of recent tragedies linked to poor road conditions in the region. “The Haripurdhar bus accident that killed 14 passengers and injured 68, and the HRTC bus accident at Kuaanu which claimed four lives and injured 35 people, happened due to bad roads,” said Mast Ram, a villager.
“If immediate safety measures are not taken here, the same can happen on this road,” he added.
Shillai MLA and Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, who visited the site, said, “I have listened to the grievances of the people. Immediate directions have been issued to the local administration and MoRTH officials concerned to improve the condition of the road at the earliest.”
