Himachal Pradesh: GSI team inspects sunken road site in Shimla

Shimla, Nov 29 (PTI) A Geological Survey of India team inspected a portion of the road that had sunk in the Bhattakufar area of Shimla to investigate the exact cause behind the incident, officials said

on Saturday.

The team, which reached the spot following a request from the district administration, will now prepare a report about their findings, after which further steps will be taken, officials said.

On November 23, a portion of a road sank in Bhattakur, creating a massive pit on the road, and the front tyre of a school bus got stuck in it.

A girl had also fallen into the pit, but was safely rescued by the locals using a rope.

The incident had led to outrage among the locals, who alleged that the sinking was caused by the ongoing construction work of a twin tube tunnel on the Kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane, being executed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

The allegation was refuted by the NHAI, which stated that the site of the incident was being maintained by the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD).

Following the incident, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap directed the company responsible for constructing the tunnel to stop the construction work immediately and also withdrew its blasting license temporarily.

An inspection of the site was also conducted by the geological wing of the district administration, which recommended that an inspection by a reputed agency, such as the Geological Survey of India, should be conducted to find out the exact reason behind the subsidence incident. PTI COR PRK PRK