MANDI: The Kehnwal road, part of Ward No. 4 Ramnagar and Ward No. 5 Sanyardi in Mandi, has turned into a drain, causing severe inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists alike. The debris from road work and blocked drains has exacerbated the situation, posing serious risks of accidents.
This heavily trafficked road serves as a crucial link for thousands of commuters daily, connecting areas like Kehnwal, Rewalsar, Hamirpur and Kotli.
The situation is further aggravated by the movement of heavy dumpers, transporting debris being dug out during the ongoing double-lane construction on the Attari-Jalandhar-Hamirpur-Mandi-Leh National Highway-3.
Currently, the entire road is in a deplorable state, riddled with deep potholes. The stretch from Ramnagar Kehnwal Chowk to Kehnwal, undergoing an upgrade, is particularly affected.
Although the Mandi DC has ordered a halt to cutting work during the rainy season, the debris from previous cutting work still clutters the road on an about half a km stretch, narrowing it to the point where even two-wheelers struggle to pass.
The blocked drains have caused rainwater and debris to flow directly over the road, further damaging it and making it hazardous. Two-wheelers frequently topple and pedestrians are constantly at risk of collisions with vehicles.
Ramnagar councillor Yog Raj said that he has already informed the Mandi DC in writing about the road’s deplorable condition. The National Highways Authority of India is responsible for the repairs, while the Public Works Department should clear the debris from Kehnwal road, yet no action has been taken, said a resident.
Recently, a dumper rolled into a drain here, resulting in the tragic death of its driver.
Sanyardi councillor Virendra Arya said that repeated complaints have gone unheeded. Frustrated locals and daily users of this route have now written to state Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, who had promised the cleaning of all drains and road repairs before the monsoon.
The letter, signed by numerous concerned residents, including KK Goyal, Ramesh Thakur, Hari Singh Dogra, Dr Jeevanand Chauhan, BC Sharma, Vinay Singh Barwal, Ranveer Singh, Lalit Kumar, Kashmir Singh Bhardwaj, Yugal Kishore Sharma, Suraj Singh Thakur, Netra Singh Guleria, Harish Guleria, Gyan Chand Sharma, Sucha Singh, Sunita Kumari, Jeevan Lal, Vinod Kumar Guleria, Ramesh Guleria, Vicky Patyal,
Mani Ram Thakur, Bhavani Singh Thakur, Tej Lal, Arun Kumar, Tarun Kumar, Sita Ram, Kamla Devi, Bittu Kumar, Megh Singh Thakur, Nand Lal, Dharma Chand, Hukam Chand, among others, calls attention to the inefficiencies of the Public Works Department, Mandi administration and the National Highways Authority of India.
The letter demands the immediate removal of debris from the road, repair of the road from Kehnwal Chowk to Talyad and the unblocking of all drains. The signatories have warned that if these demands are not met promptly, they will stage a protest on the affected road.
