Uttarakhand: Vehicular movement goes for a toss as all-weather highway caves in

The all-weather road constructed in Uttarakhand has failed to withstand this season's first monsoon rainfall. A huge crater has been formed on the Rishikesh-Badrinath stretch of the highway near Purshari. The vehicular movement on the highway has come to a grinding halt.

Chamoli (Uttarakhand):The soil underneath the highway washed away in the rainwater leading to the caving in of the road. The all-weather highway in Uttarakhand, which was constructed keeping in mind the country's strategic interest also, has failed to withstand this season's first monsoon rainfall. A huge crater has been formed on the Rishikesh-Badrinath stretch of the highway near Purshari. The soil underneath the highway washed away in the rainwater leading to subsidence of the road. The vehicular movement on the highway has come to a grinding halt.

The RCC protection wall on the highway came crashing down thereby leading to erosion of soil underneath the road. Later, the surface of the highway caved in and a huge crater was formed. The top surface of the highway leading up to several yards on the Rishikesh-Badrinath stretch near Purshari was found missing. Virtually there was no road on this portion of the highway.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Surajkant Shukla, deputy project manager of NHIDCL which is the executing agency, said, "We didn't make any compromise on quality. There is something that is beyond our control. We are helpless in front of nature's onslaught. In 2013, Uttarakhand had witnessed largescale destruction due to nature's fury."

On the other hand, a resident, said, "When this road was laid, the soil was filled between the two RCC walls to prevent erosion. But, when the RCC walls were razed due to rainfall, the soil underneath the road washed away. The government makes tall claims about the projects. But, at ground zero the reality is something else. The quality of the work, which is being executed is very poor. Those responsible for poor quality work should be sent to jail."