15 years on, work on Kasauli bypass awaits completion

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 21

With nearly 15 years having elapsed since work on the crucial Kimmughat-Chakki-ka-Mor road, which will provide a bypass to National Highway NH22 for the people around Kasauli, began its construction was yet to be completed. The significance of this road has increased with the Parwanoo-Solan stretch of the national highway being four-laned and the commuters facing constant traffic jams on the under-construction highway.

Once completed, this road will provide a shorter bypass for the commuters from Kasauli and its surrounding areas to Chandigarh with the road length being shorter by at least four to five kms. The commuters will also be spared the traffic snarls occurring on the highway. Though the road length is around 17 km it has taken more than 15 years and the construction is yet not complete.

The first phase of the project comprising 7-km stretch was constructed in 2002 at a cost of Rs 1.06 crore. Work on the second stretch of about 8-km was completed recently. Forest clearance for the remaining about 1.2-km stretch was yet to be sought from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as it involves axing of 128 trees.

Sandeep Sobti, Executive Engineer of the PWD’s Kasauli division, said they were addressing a few objections raised by the forest officials for moving the case for seeking environmental clearance. This would take about one-and-a-half months. The case would then be submitted to the MoEF’s Dehradun office and they were hopeful that it would receive an early clearance.

He said the actual work will barely take a month. Once all clearances were received the road will be completed within no time.

This road will link about 15 villages and it will also provide connectivity to the agrarian community here. Its survey was conducted in 1978 and the lack of interest taken by the politicians earlier has delayed its completion.

In 1990, after repeated requests and persuasion by villagers, Rs 15 lakh was paid to the landowners whose land was acquired for the project. But, it took another nine years to get the land vacated despite paying compensation. Its work was further delayed when the railway officials raised objections for carrying out work near Koti tunnel.