Mandi resident loses ancestral house, new one too on verge of collapse as NHAI ‘violates’ hill-cutting norms
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The Newz Radar
MANDI: The Kiratpur-Manali four-lane national highway, being constructed by the NHAI, has brought about unforeseen challenges at several locations in around 130 km of its stretch in Himachal Pradesh. As the construction progresses, concerns mount over the safety of adjacent lands and properties.
In Jarli village near Mandi, an example of this crisis unfolds. Devi Ram, a local resident, generously allocated portions of his land to facilitate the four-lane project. However, the execution of cutting activities by the NHAI, seemingly at a straight 90-degree angle, has triggered alarming repercussions. Devi Chand’s hillside properties, both old and new, now hang precariously.
On February 6, Devi Ram’s ancestral house comprising three rooms collapsed, leaving behind a trail of destruction. With cracks now appearing in his new house too, Devi Ram finds himself displaced and has sought refuge in a rented accommodation. Despite repeated appeals to local authorities and the NHAI since 2022, Devi Ram and his family’s cries for attention have fallen on deaf ears.
Devi Ram has questioned the legality of jeopardising adjacent land and homes in the pursuit of development, urging accountability from the NHAI. “Had proper slope cutting protocols been adhered to, this crisis could have been averted,” he says.
NHAI Project Director Varun Chari has assured to resolve the matter. He said a district-level committee chaired by the DC was assessing Devi Ram’s case alongside other such grievances. With damage evaluations underway by SDM-Sadar and forthcoming assessments by the PWD, corrective actions would be pursued, said an official.
