No blasting of hills in monsoon, firm widening road in Sirmaur told

To avert damage to the environment and nearby structures, the district administration of Sirmaur has directed a private company engaged in the widening of the Ashyari-Shri Kyari stretch on the Paonta Sahib-Shillai national highway-707 not to undertake blasting of hills during the monsoon.

Since the fragile hills are prone to damage in the monsoons, blasting can further wreak havoc due to seepage of water in the excavated hilly structures and cause colossal damage.

Local residents were already facing damage to their structures due to blasting and reckless dumping of muck at Gangtoli village and its periphery. The road had remained closed for three days last week as huge boulders and muck rolled down from the excavated hilly slope after the blasting. This had caused a lot of inconvenience to the residents.

The working of the private company, widening the road, was already under the scanner of the National Green Tribunal as well as the environmentalists for large-scale use of gelatin for explosion. Instead of cutting the hills scientifically, the company has been using gelatin rods for executing the work as a convenient shortcut after having jumped the deadline, alleged Nathu Ram Chauhan, an environmentalist.

Additional Deputy Magistrate, Nahan, LR Verma, said that the private company engaged in the widening of the NH-707 had sought permission to undertake control blasting on the Ashyari-Shri Kyari stretch but it has been denied by the Deputy Commissioner in view of the prevailing monsoon season. Since the excavated hills are already vulnerable to damage, the company has been strictly directed not to undertake any blasting activity.

“The revenue authorities were yet to access the loss caused to some houses though a dhabha owner, who operated from a tinned structure, has been given tarpaulin by the private company to avert further damage, besides promising restoration of the structure,” said SDM, Shillai, Jagpal.

Nathu Ram Chauhan termed the use of gelatin to blast hills as an adverse step and said, “The private company widening the highway in its third package had recklessly stored gelatin rods at Tikker where a primary school building has faced damage due to blasting. I had taken up the issue with the district administration which has sought a reply from the company as they intend to undertake blasting at many other places too.”

Himachal Tribune