Harnera–Shahpur stretch left unrepaired for three years; demands immediate inspection and action within 15 days
Kangra — The condition of roads in Kangra district has become a nightmare for commuters, with the Harnera–Shahpur stretch standing as a glaring example of government apathy. Deep potholes, crumbling edges, missing guardrails, and a 20-metre washed-away section left unrepaired for nearly three years have turned this vital route into a daily ordeal.
Locals say that instead of durable repairs, the authorities have been resorting to makeshift fixes — dumping loose soil and gravel that vanish with the first spell of rain. On steep turns and near gorges, the road has no safety barriers, forcing drivers to risk their lives every time they travel. Illegal encroachments have further narrowed the route, leaving little room for two vehicles to cross safely.
Frustrated by years of official inaction, Abhinav, a resident of Kangra, has written a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, and senior officers of the Himachal Pradesh PWD. In his letter, he accuses the government of “daily neglect” and calls the condition of Kangra’s roads a “shameful reflection of administrative failure.”
Abhinav wrote that the PWD’s apathy has left the public helpless. “The whole stretch is full of deep potholes, loose soil, shards of gravel, and pathetic, temporary ‘patches’ made with wet soil that wash away in mere rains,” he stated, adding that the road’s condition is “physically punishing, mentally tormenting, and perilous.”
He alleged that the problem is not confined to one stretch but reflects a larger pattern of neglect across the district. “This is not about blaming the rainy season. It rains in Switzerland, Japan, and every advanced country — yet they fix roads all the time. Here, roads are left to break down completely until someone complains. That thinking must stop,” he wrote, accusing the department of lacking both accountability and empathy.
The letter demands an immediate inspection of the Harnera–Shahpur stretch within seven days, particularly the washed-away portion that has remained unrepaired since 2021. Abhinav has demanded to begin full-scale repair work and sought a district-wide road rehabilitation plan with clear timelines, budgets, and responsible officers.
He has also called for disciplinary action — including warnings or suspension — against engineers and officers whose negligence led to the current situation. “You cannot say you didn’t know. You have the engineers, the machinery, and the funds. What you don’t have is the will to act,” he wrote.
Abhinav warned to approach courts and public campaigns. “If this were your mother, your child, your own family travelling every day on these roads — would you let them suffer like this?” he asked.
Similar conditions are reported on several other roads across the state, where poor construction practices and substandard repair work have left stretches riddled with cracks and potholes soon after patching. Locals allege that repeated, low-quality maintenance — often done without proper drainage, compaction, or materials — has worsened the situation over the years. Many blame this persistent decay not on the weather, but on the faulty repair system and careless execution by the PWD, which they say has turned vital public roads into hazards rather than lifelines.
