Plot owners in trouble over new highway norms

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, February 21

Shakti Sharma had a 10-marla plot within the Una Municipal Council limit. He wanted to construct a house on it. However, he came to know that since the Mehatpur-Mubarakpur road had been declared a national highway, he could not construct a house on his plot.

Talking to The Tribune, Shakti Sharma said, “The plot is my only property. Now I have been told by the NHAI authorities that no construction can be allowed up to 5-metre area from the highway. My plot comes within the range. The NHAI should either compensate me, or allow me construction.”

In two years, 67 roads have been declared national highways in Himachal. The NHAI is perplexed as to which norms should be applied for allowing construction along the roads.

Anil Dhiman, an architect, said there was no architect registered with the National Highways Department in lower areas. Most registered architects were in Delhi. These architects were charging hefty amounts for approving drawing through which NOC could be issued.

Besides, the NHAI was now charging fee for providing access to people from the roads. For map approval, everyone had to pay a fee ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in lieu of access from national highways.

In Dharamsala also, the people are facing problems as the Gaggal-McLeodganj road has been declared national highway.

Naresh Kumar said the norms for hill areas should be different from the plains. In the hills, there was a little space for construction. If the 12-metre norm was followed, no construction could come up in many areas of Dharamsala.

Unlike the plains, the people on the hills had small landholding. If the norms were followed in toto, many people would be left with no land to raise construction.

Officials of the PWD said most of the cases for NOC from the NHAI went to Chandigarh and rest to Delhi. While the state highway authorities used to charge access fee from petrol pumps, the NHAI charged access fee from all commercial buildings. Since the number of national highways has seen a sudden spurt, there are no experts to guide the people.

Rider on construction

• In two years, 67 roads have been declared national highways in Himachal.
• The NH norms don’’t allow construction up to 5-metre area from the highway
• The NHAI is also charging fee for providing access to people from the roads
• For map approval, everyone has to pay a fee ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh