Kasauli roads repaired two months ago, worn out again

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, January 17

In view of the sub-standard work on three alternate roads, whose re-metalling was done by the Public Works Department (PWD) less than two months ago, field staff was now using muck to fill the potholes in the roads in the Kasauli division.

While this would not only worsen the condition of the potholed road if it rains, two-wheeler riders would particularly face inconvenience. The National Highways Authority of India had granted Rs 18 crore to the PWD to strengthen 29.4-km Parwanoo-Jangeshu-Kasauli-Dharampur road, 13-km Kamli-Bhojnagar road and the 14-km Chakki-Bhojnagar road in view of the four-laning of the Parwanoo-Solan stretch Of National highway-22. These roads are supposed to act as a diversion till the four-laning work was complete.

The field staff of the PWD, however, failed to check the quality of work and major potholes were visible on all roads, including the most important Dharampur-Kasauli road. The worst affected was the site near Sukkijohri where the field staff of the PWD was now engaged in filling the potholes with muck.

Huge mounds of muck had been deposited along the Sanawar-Dharampur road and the patch work on the roads constructed after incurring crores was underway. With virtually no check on the quality, the roads had worn away within days of being laid in November. Being a key road connecting the tourist town of Kasauli, tourists were experiencing nightmarish experience driving on the road.

Executive Engineer, PWD Division, Kasauli, Sandeep Sobti agreed that some work was not up to the mark but assured that the roads would be re-done once the weather conditions improved after March. He also added that the payment of the contractor had been withheld in view of the sub-standard work.

Significantly, in 2013 also a sum of Rs 1.37 crore was spent on about seven-km stretch of the same Sanawar-Dharampur road which again had worn off within months.

Though an inquiry had been initiated on its poor work then little action was taken to maintain quality in such works by the department which was emboldening the erring contractors.