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Gadkari admitted that complaints had been received regarding the development of cracks in homes at the site of the Chamba Tunnel on National Highway 34. (Photo file: PTI)
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said THDCIL has been appointed to study landslide vulnerability areas and propose mitigation measures for roads being developed under the Char Dham Highway project.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said on Thursday that the committee set up by the Uttarakhand government had not attributed damage to the construction of the tunnel. Responding to a query from Ritesh Pandey, Lok Sabha MP of Ambedkar Nagar, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that THDC India Limited (THDCIL) has been appointed to study landslide vulnerability areas and propose mitigation measures for roads being developed under the Char Dham highway project. It also conducted geological surveys.
Char Dham project has been implemented to enhance connectivity in Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarakhand.
Pandey, the Bahujan Samaj Party MP, had asked the ministry if it was aware that a large number of residents had lodged complaints regarding the development of cracks in houses and draining of water sources due to the construction of the tunnel.
Gadkari, in response, acknowledged that complaints had been received regarding the development of cracks in homes at the site of the Chamba Tunnel on National Highway 34.
He said, “The committee formed headed by the Director of the Uttarakhand Space Application Center (USAC), by the Uttarakhand State Government, did not attribute the cracks in the houses to the construction of the tunnel.”
National Highway 34 starts from Gangotri Dham and connects Bhattwari, Uttarkashi and Darasu near Terhi, Ambata, Rishikesh and Hardwar in Uttarakhand. In May 2020, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) team achieved a major milestone in the Char Dham project as they dug a 440-meter tunnel under the busy town of Chamba on the Rishikesh-Darasu highway.
Local residents say they noticed cracks appearing in their homes after digging the tunnel. Cracks are starting to appear in the houses of Champa’s main market.
Gadkari also said that the construction activities of the Char Dham Project national highways are being reviewed and monitored by a high-level committee for non-strategic roads – Rudrarprayag-Gorikond and Darasu Bend-Jankeshati. He said that an oversight committee has been set up on the strategic roads – Rishikesh Mana, Rishikesh – Gangotri and Tanakpur – Pithoragarh – as directed by the Supreme Court of India.
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