Himachal: Highway dumping raises environmental concerns

The absence of earmarked, designated dumping site for the four-lane highway being constructed between Nagchala and Manali, has raised serious environmental concerns.

Furthermore, it has raised a question on the functioning of the National Highway Authority of India.

To get approval for any construction project, it is mandatory to have proper site disposal of the muck and debris, however, the NHA has not created any dumping site.

The construction of the stretch of four-lane is around 110 kms will also have the construction of tunnels.

Four-lane Joint Action Committee (JAC) president Brigadier Khushal Thakur (Retd) said that the absence of proper designated landfill to dump the debris has come to light in the recent meeting held in Mandi with the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to resolve the issues of the four-lane affected families.

Kushal Thakur has been raising the issues of the affected families owing to the project since the last few tears.

He blamed the NHA of flouting the norms not only in the concerns of those being affected by the project but also for haphazardly dumping the debris along the Beas River along the highway.

To dispose the debris there is no official designated dumping site created by NHA which has raised doubts on the clearance of the four-laning project, he said.