Work to repair Dharamsala streets goes on at tardy pace

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, November 13

Residents and hoteliers are upset at the tardy progress of development work being carried out under the Dharamsala Smart City project.

Akshay Sharma, a resident of McLeodganj, says that the work to repair streets in Dharamsala had started last month. The Smart City authorities had claimed that the work would be completed in 20 days. However, even after more than two months, the work was still incomplete.

Labourers to blame

I have reviewed the progress of the ongoing work. It has slowed down as labourers had left for their home states for Diwali. They are now coming back and the work will be completed soon. Pradeep Thakur, MC Commissioner

Tourists coming to McLeodganj face traffic snarls. Parking spaces have shrunk due to the ongoing work. It is affecting tourism, he says.

The authorities had started the work on covered drains along streets last month. Due to the ongoing work, traffic movement on the street starting from the main square of McLeodganj to the Dalai Lama temple have been hampered.

Vinay Kumar, a shopkeeper, says business was looking up after a long time as domestic and foreign tourists have started pouring in. However, due to the dug up streets, tourists were facing problems in parking their vehicles or passing through the streets, he said.

Pradeep Thakur, Commissioner of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation and MD, Dharamsala Smart City Project, says he has reviewed the progress of the ongoing work. The work has slowed down as labourers had left for their native places for Diwali. They are now coming back and the work will be completed soon, he adds.

The work on laying of ducts along the main road in Dharamsala is also progressing at a tardy pace. At many places, trenches dug up and waste deposited along roads are creating traffic problems in the lower Dharamsala area. At many places, contractors have not put up warning signals along the dug portions of the road, making the road prone to accidents at nights.

The PWD has started work on creating speed-breakers at six places in the city but at many places, it has come to a standstill. The commissioner says that the work has been stopped as the PWD wants to complete the half-constructed speed-breakers. The work on the remaining portions will start soon, he adds.

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