Himachal Races to Rebuild: High-Level Meeting Called for Highway Relief and Repair
In response to the severe damage caused by recent monsoon rains, the Himachal Pradesh government is taking urgent action. Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania announced a high-powered meeting to be held Thursday to address two critical issues: waiving toll fees on the battered Kiratpur-Manali highway and reviewing the massive damage to the state’s infrastructure.
The meeting was called at the request of PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh and will bring together state officials and representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Stressing the urgency, Speaker Pathania stated, “I will personally chair the meeting to ensure that the issue of toll waiver is properly taken up.”
The human cost of the damaged roads was highlighted by local lawmakers during the assembly session. BJP MLA Trilok Jamwal described how relentless rains have stranded cement trucks and tourist buses, crippling movement in his constituency. His colleague, Randhir Sharma, urged the government to use disaster management laws to suspend toll collection on blocked highways.
PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh outlined the staggering scale of the crisis. He explained that nearly 800 km of state roads are managed by the NHAI, and the damage has had a devastating ripple effect. Journeys that should take a short time are now lasting up to 12 hours, severely hurting the tourism industry and preventing farmers from getting their perishable goods to market.
The devastation from just a few days of rain (August 24-26) is immense. A preliminary assessment reports:
· 1,091 roads and 2 bridges damaged.
· Estimated losses of ₹155 crore.
· In Kullu and Manali alone, damages reached ₹30 crore, including the complete loss of the Marsu steel bridge and the 17-Mile bridge on the NHAI highway. Currently, only the Raison bridge connects the two sides of the Manali area.
· Kangra district suffered approximately ₹30 crore in losses after water released from the Pong Dam washed away two bridges.
· In Chamba, 43 roads were closed, and telecom networks were disrupted.
Despite the challenges, the state is fighting back. Minister Singh confirmed that heavy machinery is working around the clock to restore vital connections. He also promised that the families of two JCB operators who tragically lost their lives while clearing debris would receive full support from the government.
The road to recovery will be long and costly, with an immediate ₹15 crore needed just for initial repairs, but the state is mobilizing all its resources to help its people.
