ANJALI YADAV/ Dehradun
With the Char Dham Yatra already underway and lakhs of pilgrims travelling to the Uttarakhand shrines, the Public Works Department (PWD) has set May 15 as the deadline to complete remaining road repair and patchwork on key routes.
PWD executive engineer Manish Dogra told The Pioneer that most of the repair work along with installation of signboards and barricading had been planned before the Yatra began. “The majority of the work was completed by April 20, but fresh damage at several locations due to early rainfall required additional repairs. The rain and unfavourable weather conditions have slowed down work in some stretches, delaying completion timelines,” he said.
The deadline comes at a time when several major highway projects under the Centre’s Char Dham all-weather road connectivity project are still in progress, as per the official data.
On the Kedarnath route, widening of the Fata-Sitapur stretch on NH-109 is about 99 per cent complete. The geometric improvement work on the same highway stands at 94 per cent, while the Kund Bypass has reached 81 per cent completion.
However, progress on the Yamunotri route remains slower. The Dharasu-Yamunotri stretch of NH-134 is only 57 per cent complete and land acquisition work between Pauigaon and Jankichatti is still underway. Dogra said that these factors could affect travel conditions on one of the busiest Yatra routes.
Other projects are also moving at a slow pace. The Champawat Bypass on NH-09, sanctioned at Rs 22,088 lakh, has seen minimal progress, with just 0.30 per cent work completed since it began in January this year. Most of these projects are being executed under the Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model. Dogra added that all Char Dham routes are currently motorable and safe for pilgrims. However, with repair work still ongoing in parts and weather-related damage reported at several stretches, the department is under pressure to complete pending work quickly as the Yatra season gathers pace. Meanwhile, drivers operating on Char Dham routes said that road conditions are currently manageable, though work is still ongoing in several stretches. Dharmdass Yadav, who drives a 32-seater said that most roads are in workable condition, but repair and construction work is continuing on routes such as Uttarkashi and the Yamunotri highway. He said that some stretches remain in poor condition and could worsen during the monsoon. While traffic is moving without major disruption at present, damaged patches and broken roads continue to cause problems. He added that compared to last year, conditions have improved, but blind turns, landslide-prone areas and narrow single-lane stretches still lead to frequent traffic jams and long waiting hours.
Another driver Sunil Singh said that the situation is manageable but not fully satisfactory. He pointed out that some stretches on the Gangotri route and parts of the Badrinath highway are still damaged, with repair work ongoing at several locations. He added that the condition of roads may deteriorate further during the rainy season due to continued construction and weather impact.
