Shooting stones a threat on Parwanoo-Solan stretch of National Highway

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, January 9

Traffic on the Parwanoo-Solan section of the national highway (NH)-05 was diverted through a single lane as shooting stones continued to fall on the lane facing the hilly side. Incessant rain in the Parwanoo and Dharampur area for the last three days has triggered landslides, with massive boulders falling on the highway, posing a risk to commuters.

Ensuring commuters’ safety

To ensure safety of commuters travelling on the NH-5, a Rs6-cr pilot project to provide protection to the slopes has been approved for the toll plaza at Sanwara. The work has been halted in view of the inclement weather and would be completed as soon as the weather is conducive. Suresh Sharma, Project director, National Highway Authority of India

Several accidents have been reported at such sites where huge boulders damaged vehicles and caused grave injuries to the travellers. Since the hilly slope was excavated for several feet vertically while four-laning this highway, lack of protection has enhanced its vulnerability. “Shooting stones are posing risk to the commuters and as a precaution, traffic was channeled through the lane facing the valley today,” informed Balwinder Singh, project in-charge, GR Infraprojects Limited, which four-laned the highway.

He added that 25 vulnerable locations have been identified on the 39-kms stretch of Parwanoo-Chambaghat in Solan, where protection work was required on the slopes.