Rural life on hold: Mechanical glitch halts Jassur-Hadal lifeline

The sudden suspension of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus on the Jassur-Ondh-Hadal rural route has caused immense hardship to thousands of residents across Kopra, Ondh and Hadal gram panchayats in the Nurpur area. For over two decades, this lone bus service was a vital daily link for students, workers, and villagers—many of whom now find themselves stranded and struggling to reach their destinations.

The route, which has been inactive for the past two weeks, operated with a single HRTC bus that departed Jassur at 4 pm, spent the night at Hadal, and returned to Jassur via Ondh, Kopra and Nurpur at 8 am the following morning. With no alternative public transport available, the suspension has left local commuters helpless—many are now forced to walk long distances or rely on lifts from passing two-wheelers to cover the nearly 10-km journey to Nurpur.

Local ward members Saroj Devi and Kewal Krishan from Hadal panchayat voiced their frustration, stating that no prior notice was given before the only daily bus was discontinued. “This route is our only connection to the towns. Its sudden stoppage has disrupted lives,” they said.

The situation is especially distressing for students. Tara Chand, a resident of Hadal, shared that his daughter, a student at Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School in Nurpur, has stopped attending school due to lack of transport. Several other students enrolled in Government Arya Degree College, government ITI, and local skill development institutes are facing similar challenges.

Daily commuters like Sohan Lal, Surinder Singh and Madal Lal have urged HRTC to resume the service immediately and maintain a consistent and reliable schedule going forward. When contacted, Sham Mohammad, acting in-charge of the Jassur bus stand, confirmed that the route was suspended due to a mechanical breakdown of the bus. “The vehicle is currently under repair at the HRTC workshop. Once it is declared roadworthy, the route will be reinstated,” he assured.

Until then, however, life remains on pause for these rural communities, all for the want of a single functioning bus.

Himachal Tribune