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Shimla-Kalka highway remains shut, Sukhu bats for realignment
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged NHAI to construct more tunnels to mitigate the risks posed by natural calamities
In wake of a series of devastating landslides that left a crucial stretch of the Shimla-Kalka national highway in shambles, Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to reconsider the highway’s alignment, to make it a safer for commuters, advocating for the construction of additional tunnels to mitigate the risks posed by natural calamities.
Repeated landslides on the strategically important national highway have disrupted traffic and supplies of essential goods.
As many as six landslips have been reported on the 50-metre stretch between Chakki Mod and Sanwara this monsoon, with the latest being reported on Thursday.
Commuters from Chandigarh are using other lateral roads to bypass the damaged stretch.
“The CM has asked the NHAI to realign Shimla-Kalka highway and construct more tunnels on landslide-prone road stretches,” said chief parliamentary secretary Rajneesh Awasthi, who also holds PWD charge, attached to PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh.
The Shimla-Kalka expressway is an under-construction 120km long expressway, connecting Chandigarh to Shimla on National Highway 5.
As per the plan already in place, the highway will have 11 tunnels between Malyana (Shimla) and Kothi, out of which four are under construction.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during his meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday asked for a relief package for the flood-hit regions of Himachal Pradesh.
He apprised him about the massive damage incurred in the state due to incessant rains and cloudbursts, and demanded immediate release of ₹2,000 crore to carry out relief and restoration works.
He expressed his gratitude to the Union minister for sending the Central Committee for assessing the flood damages in the state.
He informed that the funds received under disaster relief for the current financial year have been released to departments concerned and deputy commissioners for relief operations, and added that a pending amount of ₹315 crores under the National and State Disaster Relief Fund for years 2019-2020, 2020-2021 may be released soon as the amount received so far for relief operations is meagre against the magnitude of damages incurred.
Shah assured of all possible assistance.
Later, the CM met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi and thanked her for the Special Central Assistance of ₹830 crores. He requested additional special central assistance from the Centre for accelerating the pace of asset creation and restoration in order to restore normalcy in the state.
He apprised her about the huge destruction and said an estimate of losses of about ₹8,000 crore has been assessed.
Sukhu met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.
He urged for the construction an airstrip at Rangrik in Spiti Valley, which will be of strategic importance as the location was situated at an aerial distance of 50 km from the international border with China-occupied Tibet.
Pressing the demand for airstrip, the CM said Spiti has no other alternate access except National Highway 505.
The CM also urged the Union minister for relocation of ammunition depot in Powari. He said two alternate sites have been identified for the same and requested appropriate action. He added that the state government was committed to providing the land.
He said the 450 MW Shongtong Karcham hydel project on the left bank of Satluj river was just opposite this depot and added that, so far, excavation work for the silt flushing tunnel is being done from inlet portal and not the outlet portal due to detrimental restrictions from ammunition depot.
Sukhu also requested for strengthening road infrastructure on NH maintained by Border Road Organisation (BRO) besides constructing new roads for connecting villages adjoining border areas.
He also discussed the redevelopment of old Hindustan-Tibet road, developing a parallel stretch from Jeori to Bhabanagar and developing the Khab-Leo-Chango road beside Bhabha Mudh road with a tunnel under Bhaba top.
This will reduce distance between Kaza and Shimla by 70 km. He also stressed upon developing intermediate roads.
Rajnath Singh assured of all possible assistance.
The scale of destruction had resulted in a cumulative loss of ₹8,000 crore.
As many as 197 deaths have been reported in the state since monsoon onset on June 24. Of these, 57 individuals perished in landslides and flash floods, while 140 lost their lives in road accidents or other incidents exacerbated by the monsoon.
The state has also faced an alarming number of missing individuals, with 31 people unaccounted for at present.
In addition, 222 people have been reported injured as a result of the hazardous conditions.
