On Tuesday, a Himachal Roadways bus coming from Chaupal to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh fell into a 100 meter deep gorge near Sudoi Khad on the Haripur-Koti-Kwanu-Meenas Highway. The accident occurred due to the collapse of the rear while passing a truck coming from Kalsi side.
The Haripur-Koti-Kwanu-Meenas state highway, important from trade and strategic point of view, has been in a bad condition for a long time. The 72 km long interstate motor road connecting Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh is damaged at many places. The entire motorway is one and a half lane up to 30 kilometers and thereafter is single lane.
The pillars and retaining walls on the route are also damaged at many places. There is also a lack of crash barriers on the entire motorway which is extremely accident prone. Due to their absence, every year many vehicle accidents occur on this motorway and people become victims of untimely death.
2 of 5
Vikasnagar bus accident: Injured admitted to hospital – Photo: Samvad News Agency
Private and passenger vehicles pass day and night on this route from Haripur Kalsi, the gateway to Jaunsar Bawar area, via the country’s major hydro power projects Chhibrau, Koti, Ichhadi. Apart from this, farmers and gardeners from major apple and other fruit producing areas like Tuni Babar of Uttarakhand and Shimla Rohru of Himachal Pradesh go to the markets of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Delhi overnight with their cash crops.
3 of 5
Vikasnagar bus accident – Photo: Samvad News Agency
The regrettable situation is that while the government administration comes into action only after the accident occurs, on the other hand the local public representatives are limited to merely expressing condolences. The attention of the local public representatives never goes towards permanent repairing of the above mentioned important motor road, installation of crash barriers and widening.
4 of 5
Injured – Photo: Samvad News Agency
Due to the negligence of the government administration and public representatives, the people of Uttarakhand and the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh have to bear the brunt of the dilapidated motor road every day with loss of life and property.
5 of 5
Bus accident – Photo: Samvad News Agency
At those places where crash barriers have not been installed, an estimate for installing crash barriers is being made and sent to higher officials. Apart from this, it is also proposed to get the motor road repaired at the damaged places. – Rachna Thapliyal, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Sahiya Division