Paonta Sahib-Shillai national highway portion caves in

Tribune News Service

Solan,July 31

Traffic was put on hold for nearly three hours on the Paonta Sahib-Shillai national highway after a 200 m stretch caved in at Kachi Dhank around 4 pm today.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was undertaking the widening of this highway. The company engaged in the work rushed in labour and earth excavation machines to clear the debris. Traffic was restored around 7 pm.

2-km stretch a sliding zone

A two-km stretch of the highway near Kachi Dhank is a sliding zone. The landslide occurred around 200 m towards Paonta Sahib Vivek Panchal, Project Director, NHAI

The stretch is a sliding zone where the road had remained closed for 10 days in 2020 also after a large part of a hill caved in.

DSP, Paonta Sahib, Bir Bahadur said traffic was diverted from Satoun to Nahan and Paonta Sahib via Renukaji and Kafota to Paonta Sahib via Jong, Kilod and Vikasnagar. Policemen were deployed for regulation of traffic on both sides of Kachi Dhank to guide motorists.

Vivek Panchal, Project Director, NHAI said a 2-km stretch of the highway around Kachi Dhank was a sliding zone and the landslide occurred around 200 m towards Paonta Sahib.

The company had undertaken geo technological studies and suitable restoration measures were being taken to stabilise the strata. Measures like widening of the road shoulder and undertaking benching was being done as a preventive measure. Similar measures were undertaken last year as well.

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