Encroachments lead to traffic jam at Palampur bypass

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, October 12

The Palampur bypass, which is used by thousands of vehicles on their way to Dharamsala, Baijnath, Jogindernagar, Mandi, Kullu and Manali every day, has been narrowed due to encroachments. It is one of the busiest roads of the town.

The encroachments lead to traffic jams but the Public Works Department and the local administration seem to be unconcerned.

Despite repeated complaints, the department has not initiated steps to free the road of encroachments.

In Palampur, most internal roads are squeezing day by day because of encroachments, making it difficult for commuters. Though the HP Roadside Land Control Act prohibits any construction within 5 m on all roads, the law is neither followed, nor executed in totality.

A senior Public Works Department officer says that the department has served a notice on encroachers, directing them to remove his goods from the road. However, enquiries revealed that no follow-up was done. The encroachers, too, did not bother to reply to the notice.

Senior government officials such as the Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, the Sub Divisional Magistrate and the Municipal Commissioner use the road every day, but no one cares to get the encroachmentsremoved.