A three-member expert committee with members visited as many as ten sites on the entire Parwanoo Solan stretch of the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway (NH05) on Sunday. The experts were from IIT Roorkee, IIT Mandi and National Highway of Authority of India (NHAI) and were headed by R K Pandey from NHAI. The team may submit its report to the NHAI with a week, The Indian Express reported.
Pandey told the outlet that they visited the various sites and inspected them all. The team members will now sit together and discuss the best long-term solutions that can be worked upon.
Recently, the Chandigarh Shimla National Highway was closed for around a week after it suffered highway cave-ins and landslides at several points during the incessant rains and continuous landslides. The National Highway at Chakki Mor was the worst hit. A two-member Japanese team had also visited the Chakki Mor site several weeks back, however, their report is still awaited.
“Everyone knows that there have been unprecedented rains this time in Himachal which led to the present status of the four lane. We have asked for the data from the NHAI and after detailed discussions, we would find the best possible solution to the problem,” Pandey said.
The team has already submitted its report on the Kullu-Manali highway, Pandey said. “Within a week’s time, we will submit this one too,” he added.
It has also asked for a complete drone survey of the entire Parwanoo Solan stretch before and and after the rains in Himachal Pradesh.
Details sought from NHAI
The lead further said that once they receive the details on things like soil property, position of hydraulics, rainfall, the status of technical investigations from the NHAI, they would be giving the report on the long-term solution. “As for the drainage part, it is mainly the water that is responsible for such a condition and continuous landslides on the mountain regions,” he added.
BHAI Project Director Anil Dahiya has said that the team’s report, which is to be submitted in the NHAI Delhi headquarters, will be towards the final restoration of the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway. He also said the team is expected to submit its report within a week’s time. When the team visited the sites on the stretch, they were also accompanied by the design team of GR Infra, the firm which constructed the four lane, and Deputy manager, technical of NHAI.
Dahiya added that IIT Mandi’s Dharmender Gill will look into the hydraulic concerns.
The Chakki Mor site on the highway is expected to have a two-lane bituminous road by October 15, as per the NHAI. Dhaiya said that as the monsoons have gotten weaker, the chances of landslides will increase and that up until now the moisture has been holding the soil. “Once it starts drying up, it will leave the soil and the mountains will become more prone to landslides now. But we have our machinery at stand by so we will keep clearing so that the vehicular movement does not stop and the highway stays open,” he added.