Paonta-Rampur Ghat road dotted with potholes, dirt
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan,November 10
The Paonta Sahib-Rampur Ghat-Bhangani-Khodri Majri road, which connects Paonta Sahib subdivision to Vikasnagar in Uttarakhand, is in a state of utter neglect.
The 30-km stretch is full of potholes and dirt as hundreds of tractor-trailers carrying quarry material use the route on a daily basis.
The road leads to the stone crusher site at Rampur Ghat. The condition of the Shivpur-Bangran-Puruwala stretch has turned from bad to worse due to the plying of heavy vehicles. The road is also used by miscreants to flee to neighbouring Uttarakhand.
“Since the condition of the road is too bad, miscreants take no time in fleeing to Uttarakhand after committing crime around the Puruwala area. A good road can reduce the response time of the police in case of an eventuality as cases of drug and liquor smuggling often take place,” said Prashant Sharma, a local resident.
A 2-km stretch of the road is maintained by the Khodri Hydroelectric Power Plant and it is bereft of regular repair and maintenance. “The road has worn off deplorably and its unmetalled surface adds to the wear and tear of vehicles. The condition of the bridge, which leads to the project area and is also used for commuting to Uttarakhand, requires immediate attention,” said Manoj Kumar, another resident.
Executive Engineer, PWD, KS Chawdhary said, “An estimate of Rs 37 crore has been prepared to repair the Paonta Sahib-Dak Pathar road, which is a major district route. Funds have also been sought from the Union Government. We are hopeful of receiving the same at the earliest. Though some repair work is undertaken on a routine basis, the unavailability of adequate funds causes bottlenecks.”
He said the maintenance of a single-lane barrage was supposed to be looked after by the project authorities and the PWD in equal proportions. Built several decades ago, it was also in dire need of maintenance as traffic volume had increased multifold.
