Highway havoc: Muck dumping on NH-707 chokes water lifelines
The widening of the Paonta Sahib-Shillai-Gumma National Highway (NH-707) in Sirmaur district, touted as a Green Highway Corridor Project, has ironically left a trail of environmental degradation in its wake. Reckless muck dumping along the highway’s under-construction stretches has destroyed natural water channels, devastated agricultural land and left hundreds of villagers grappling with acute water shortages.
The project, being executed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) through a private contractor, has failed to account for the delicate ecological balance and essential rural infrastructure. The muck from construction work has been carelessly dumped down steep slopes without protective measures, leading to the destruction of natural water channels (‘kuhals’), handpumps and piped water supply lines serving dozens of villages in Shillai subdivision.
A report by a joint committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) estimates the damage to water infrastructure alone at Rs 2.22 crore since the work began. Despite repeated pleas and petitions from villagers, little relief has come their way. Temporary fixes have been attempted in a few places, but long-term restoration remains elusive.
At Barwas village, Vija Ram, a farmer, recounts how a vital water kuhul that once irrigated his fields was buried under mounds of debris. Without water, his land has turned fallow, causing him financial losses. “We’ve been demanding restoration and compensation, but no one listens,” he laments.
His is not an isolated story. Across the Shillai region, particularly in villages like Bambal and Hevana, residents have been suffering similarly. Balwant Singh of Bambal says his fields were inundated during the rains due to debris flow from the Gangtoli Khud dumping site. “Had crate wire structures been erected to contain the muck, this could have been avoided,” he says. At Hevana, villagers continue to push for erosion-prevention structures to stop further silting of their fields.
In Barwas, yet another kuhul built years ago by the Panchayati Raj Department at a cost of Rs 3 lakh has now been rendered useless. Gram Panchayat Pradhan Nirmala Devi has raised alarm over this loss and is demanding Rs 5 lakh for restoring the channel, including pipe-laying and muck removal. “Our agriculture and drinking water sources are gone. The government must act,” she asserts.
The Jal Shakti Department (JSD) has confirmed that 35 to 40 water supply schemes running alongside NH-707 have been damaged. “Only one has been permanently restored and around 10 others temporarily. Over 30 handpumps lie defunct,” says Rajiv Mahajan, Superintending Engineer at JSD, Nahan. He added that nearly 30 kuhals have been blocked or buried under debris from dumping sites.
As per NGT orders, the damaged utilities were to be relocated under JSD’s supervision, with MoRTH bearing the cost. However, progress has been slow. The 100-km highway, divided into five construction packages, has seen completion of Packages I, IV and V, with work pending on the rest.
The villagers are now questioning the very foundation of the so-called “Green Highway Corridor” label. “What is green about it? It has turned our fertile land barren, choked our water sources and uprooted lives,” says a resident. With livelihoods in peril and ecosystems scarred, the widening of NH-707 stands as a grim reminder of development gone wrong.
Himachal Tribune