The slow pace of construction on the two-lane stretch of highway between Ranital and Naduan, part of the Kangra-Shimla highway, has added to the woes of villagers.
The construction company is not adhering to the construction norms laid down by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Many stretches and culverts of the highway remain half-completed, causing hardship for local residents and commuters.
During a visit to this stretch of the highway, local residents complained that dust emitted from the highway has led to pulmonary disease and eye ailments.
They said the company rarely sprays water on the road, allowing dust to enter houses and shops in nearby areas.
At many under-construction culvert points, there are deep potholes that are rarely filled by the company. Rakesh Kumar, who runs a small shop along the highway, said the villagers had repeatedly requested the construction company to properly spray water on the road to control the dust, but their requests were ignored.
He said the situation had worsened with the onset of summer, and the dusty environment was causing breathing problems for residents of the area.
The construction of small and major culverts on the Jwalamukhi bypass has also been left half-completed.
No men or machinery of the company are seen on these culverts. The situation is similar at other culverts under construction between Ranital and Nadaun.
However, the highway is almost complete between Kangra and Ranital as it is being constructed by another company. Local residents demanded that the company complete the road, culverts, and bridges under a time-bound plan to avoid inconvenience to the public.
The Ranital-Nadaun stretch is part of the 225-km highway project being constructed between Kangra and Shimla, which has been divided into five packages. This is one of the strategic road projects of the NHAI that would link six districts of the lower hills with the state headquarters Shimla upon completion.
“The stretch will have nine tunnels and four high-rise bridges. It will bypass major towns like Darlaghat, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Jwalamukhi. The travel time will be reduced from six hours to four hours if traveling by car, and fuel consumption will also reduce. Besides, the lesser curves on the highway will reduce the accident rate, providing more safety to road users. The longest tunnel will be constructed between Shalaghat and Piplughat,” NHAI sources added.
The Kangra-Shimla highway project would be the first to be constructed using grid-based road technology. This will reduce maintenance costs and provide safe passage. The grid-based technology saves hills from vertical cutting. The first lane is constructed on a higher slope and the second lane on a lower slope, creating a grid of two separate roads running parallel on the hills.
