Work to remove debris from Parwanoo-Solan road begins

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 22

The work to remove debris from vulnerable spots on the Parwanoo-Solan section of the Shimla National Highway (NH)-5 began today.

Mounds of debris, boulders and uprooted trees had fallen on the highway following torrential rain and several trees and boulders were perched precariously on excavated slopes, posing a serious threat to commuters. Only two lanes of the highway between Parwanoo and Dharampur were open for vehicular traffic because of the debris.

At several places near Sanwara and Do Sarka, the road had developed cracks, rendering it unfit for traffic on the lane along the valley. Traffic policemen were deployed to manage vehicular movement at Sanwara as a sizable portion of a hill had caved in and a narrow single lane was open.

The work for the permanent restoration of vulnerable spots would begin after an expert committee submitted its report containing recommendations on how to stabilize the highway.

Officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), were hopeful that the task would be completed at the earliest. They supervised the progress of the work at the vulnerable spots near the Solan-Subathu road in Solan.

The issue was prominently highlighted in the columns of The Tribune today after the Solan police directed the NHAI to remove debris from vulnerable spots on the Solan-Subathu road and other stretches of the National Highway-5.

Anand Dahiya, Project Director, NHAI, said that the staff of GR Infraprojects started removing debris from the Solan-Subathu road as well as below the Dharampur-Kasauli road near Dharampur. “The task will be completed at the earliest though the company has been given the deadline of September 30 to clear the entire Parwanoo-Solan section of the NH-5 of debris.”

He added that the safety of commuters was of paramount importance for them and they were clearing debris from the highway on priority.