Driving a nightmare on Naggar-Manali road
Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, July 3
Residents of Naggar and Manali are unhappy over poor condition of the Kullu road that goes via Naggar. They have urged the Public Works Department (PWD) to repair the road that is full of potholes between Manali and Naggar.
Hem Raj Sharma, a resident of Manali, said that a 20-km stretch between Manali and Naggar was in a poor condition due to the apathy of the PWD. Several bridges on the road were under construction but the work was going on at a snail’s pace. He added that the road needed immediate repairs before the apple season starts.
Aacharya, a resident of Naggar, said that the Chhaki bridge on this road had been under construction for the past one year but the progress of the work was very slow. “During the rainy season, this road gets blocked for days, causing inconvenience to the area residents,” he added.
He said that once the new bridges being built at the Haripur Nullah and the Jagat Sukh Nullah were completed, the road would be readied for smooth traffic.
Area residents said that Naggar and Manali are famous tourist places, besides being the apple belt. Good road connectivity for tourists as well for the transportation of agriculture and horticulture produce was a must.
Anil Sangrai, Superintending Engineer, PWD, Kullu, said that a tender had been floated for the tarring work on the road. The maintenance work on the road would start within a week.
