Hoshiarpur-Una road makes for a bumpy ride; expect relief soon, says official

Nearly 10 years ago when an announcement was made to convert the Hoshiarpur-Una road into a National Highway, there was a wave of jubilation among people. They were hopeful that the proposed highway would transform the area.

In 2016, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) took over the road, which was earlier under the Public Works Department. Since then, the condition of the road has gone from bad to worse. After remaining in a bad condition for a long time, the road was re-carpeted three years ago, but the quality of the work was so bad that it started falling apart within a few weeks. Today, travelling on the Hoshiarpur-Una road is no less than a nightmare for travellers.

For motorists, driving on the road is fraught with danger, especially for two-wheeler riders, as the road is riddled with potholes. As the road connects Himachal Pradesh to Punjab, it is like a lifeline for the area residents. Various important institutes, including Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, Punjab University Swami Sarvananda Giri Regional Centre, Vishwashvaranand Vedic Research Institute, Ayurvedic Medical College, a nursing college and Shri Guru Ravidas University, besides schools, are situated along the road. Thousands of people and students use the road daily. Minor accidents have become a routine occurrence due to the potholes. After starting from Bullanwari, the number of potholes keeps on multiplying as one moves ahead. A few days ago, patchwork was done on some parts of the road to fill the potholes, but it was nothing more than an eyewash. While the potholes were filled with soil, at some places premix was also used for the patchwork. The soil got washed away due to rain. After the last week’s rain, the condition of the road has deteriorated further.

In front of the Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, there were so many potholes on the road that if a tyre of a vehicle got stuck in them, then it would have to be lifted out. Premix and soil have been filled in the potholes again, but it appears to be a temporary arrangement.

SK Mishra, Project Director, NHAI, said the patchwork was done ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit. It was a temporary arrangement. He added the road will be rebuilt and widened to 10 metres and the work will start by the month end. The official said the entire stretch of 27 km from Bajwara to the Himachal border will be dug up and relaid. Once the work is complete people will not face any problem for at least five years, he added.