Jammu-Katra Expressway design has flaws, Bholath MLA writes to Gadkari

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, August 17

In wake of the Beas river flooding villages in Bholath, MLA from the area Sukhpal Khaira has written to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, seeking redesigning of the Jammu- Katra Expressway, citing “a very serious flaw in design in the river’s catchment area.”

In his letter written to Gadkari today, Khaira states that since his constituency Bholath runs along the course of river Beas, for approximately more than 50 kms, there has been a major loss of life, property and crops due to the “erroneous construction of Jammu-Katra Expressway in the catchment area of river Beas, between the Bholath-Sri Hargobindpur stretch of approximately 15 kms.”

Khaira writes, “I am bringing the matter to your immediate notice because the Jammu-Katra Expressway in the said riverbed area has created a concrete wall, due to which there is massive accumulation of water threatening to break the embankments of river Beas on both sides. In case the river embankment (Dhussi Band) breaks, there is going to be a colossal loss of life, property and crops similar to the flood situation that wreaked havoc in the year 1988 in Punjab. Therefore, in order to safeguard the above situation, I request you to direct the NHAI to immediately redesign the construction of Jammu-Katra Expressway in the said riverbed area of river Beas.”

He adds that presently, “the expressway being constructed in the said area is of normal design i.e. concrete elevation filled with mud with a provision for pipe-oriented drainage of water from below the expressway, whereas the design should be like a pillar-based elevated road all through the riverbed like normal bridges built over our rivers.”

Releasing a video of floods in the Mand area, Khaira had on August 16 tweeted, “I urge @BhagwantMann to take immediate measures to evict people from the Mand basin or catchment area of river Beas in my constituency Bholath from villages Mand Talwandi Kuka, Mand Sardar Sahib, Mand Raipur Aryian etc as huge volume of water has been released from dams in HP into Punjab suddenly without much warning. The video below is of my constituency where the waters of river Beas have touched the embankments forcing people to evict from the river catchment area as they are still stuck there. Another big threat is the ongoing construction of the Jammu-Katra Expressway which is a hindrance like a wall within the river basin as it is not an elevated road but allows water only through pipes at intervals that aren’t enough to carry floodwaters. Although I’ve spoken to the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner, I urge the government to immediately send motorboats to evict people.”

The letter reads

In his letter written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, MLA Sukhpal Khaira states that since his constituency Bholath runs along the course of river Beas, for approximately more than 50 kms, there has been a major loss of life, property and crops due to the “erroneous construction of Jammu-Katra Expressway in the catchment area of river Beas, between the Bholath-Sri Hargobindpur stretch of approximately 15 kms.”