Road to ruin: Hoshiarpur–Himachal stretch via Chohal plagued by potholes & erosion
As dawn breaks over the Shivalik foothills, hundreds of commuters set out daily on the stretch connecting Hoshiarpur to the Himachal border via Chohal along NH-70. What should be a smooth arterial link between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh instead unfolds like a punishing obstacle course riddled with deep craters, broken edges, fading markings and dangerous blind patches.
For residents and travellers alike, the 15–20 km stretch has become less a highway and more a hazard. The irony is stark. While the Himachal side of the border boasts a well-maintained, motorable road, the Punjab portion tells a different story, of neglect, patchwork repairs and repeated collapses. In several places, especially after the monsoon, makeshift sand-supported embankments have given way, causing nearly half the carriageway to slide towards the hillside. In the absence of proper retaining walls, warning signs or reflective paint, vehicles swerve unpredictably, risking head-on collisions.
There are no visible zebra crossings, no functional traffic signage and speed limit boards lie buried in mud. Road berms have eroded. Potholes large enough to damage axles dot the surface. Fallen trees and accumulated debris remain unclear for days. Stray cattle wander freely, turning bends into blind death traps. Locals now grimly refer to the route as a “bloody road,” recounting near-misses and fatal accidents in hushed tones.
Labour Party president Jai Gopal Dhiman has strongly criticised the condition of the highway, calling it a glaring contradiction to tall claims of development. “The condition of the road from Hoshiarpur to the Himachal border via Chohal exposes the hollow narrative of development. If this 15–20 km stretch were judged honestly, it deserves mention in record books for all the wrong reasons,” he said.
Dhiman pointed out that citizens continue to pay multiple layers of taxes, Road Infrastructure Cess of Rs 5 per litre on petrol and diesel, toll tax, road tax, additional state cess and GST on vehicle parts, yet receive crumbling infrastructure in return. “Despite paying heavy taxes, people are forced to drive on broken roads. This clearly reflects deep-rooted corruption in road construction and maintenance,” he added.
He alleged that poor-quality materials and insufficient cement use in embankment and culvert construction are evident, especially along the khads (seasonal rivulets), where erosion has eaten into the road base. “When roads are not built with structural integrity, they scatter and sink. Buses fall into pits, and innocent lives are lost. This is not just negligence, it is a national loss caused by systemic failure,” Dhiman asserted.
Residents noted that even after high-profile visits by state leaders, the stretch remains largely untouched beyond superficial patchwork. The absence of lane markings, reflectors and crash barriers adds to the danger, especially at night. For truckers and school buses, the journey has become a daily gamble.
Dhiman has written to the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government and the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, seeking immediate intervention, structural repairs, proper drainage, retaining walls, signage restoration and accountability audits. Until then, the road from Hoshiarpur to the Himachal border stands as a stark, lived narrative, where development slogans fade against the thud of tyres hitting yet another pothole.
