Essential commodities to Pangi restored

Shimla, Aug 17 (UNI) With the Udaipur-Killar national highway remaining blocked due to a huge landslide at Cherry Gharat, about 15 Km from Killar, the supply of essential commodities from Manali to tribal Pangi Valley in Chamba district has been restored through a span bridge.

The Pangi administration erected a big span bridge to carry ration and other food items to the Pangi Valley through traditional method of using trolley.

The national highway was blocked at Cherry Gharat in April this year when the landslide occured on the 300-meter stretch of the road.

The GREF tried to clear the highway but another landslide occured in June at the same spot which posed a threat to Saach village located at the top of the Cherry Gharat.

As such, the Forest Department was asked to install a span bridge over the landslide portion in order to ensure the supply of the essential commodities well before the onset of winter, Pangi Resident Commissioner J S Pathania today said.

Pangi Valley is habitated by more than 20,000 people in 54 villages, comprising 16 Panchayats, and the ration and other essential items are required to be supplied before the month of October.

He said more than 40,000 quintals of essential commodities, including wheat, rice, flour, edible oils, cooking gas cylinders etc would be stocked at the six godowns of Food and Civil Supplies Department located at Dharwas, Killar, Kumarparmar, Saach, Salli and Sechu villages for distribution to the people.

The Resident Commissioner said the span bridge became operational on August 1 and everyday more than 500 quintals of essential commodities are being transported by trolleys. Till date, around 9,000 quintals of essential commodities have been transported and stocked at various godowns.

Mr Pathania said a concrete wall would be built on the Chandrabhaga river bed after the water level starts receding in September and the debris would be cleared so that there was no threat to Saach village.

The State Cabinet had recently decided to take up the maintenance of the 100 Km road stretch between Udaipur and Sansarinala from the BRO and an outlay of Rs seven crore had been made for this purpose.

This decision has come as a great relief to the people of Pangi Valley as the road between Udaipur and Sansarinala would be improved and metalled.

UNI