In response to the “unregulated” hill cutting and dumping activities conducted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Himachal Pradesh government has established a high-level committee tasked with monitoring and investigating the ongoing projects, particularly those related to four-lane highways.
During a media briefing in Shimla on Wednesday, public works department (PWD) minister Vikramaditya Singh stated, The state government has formed a committee under my leadership, which includes secretaries from all major departments such as PWD, jal shakti, forest, and the NHAI.
This committee has been created to ensure that all issues that arise periodically can be constructively discussed and solutions can be identified, Singh remarked, noting that an informal meeting was convened today with NHAI officials to specifically address the problem of uncontrolled hill cutting, dumping, and property damage resulting from the ongoing works.
We brought up the issue of land being cut and damaged beyond the designated width. The NHAI officials acknowledged our concerns and committed to conducting a slope and safety audit through IIT-Roorkee. In areas where such issues are occurring, third-party audits will be performed, and stabilization measures will be implemented promptly, Singh added.
