Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Aug: State Minister of Public Works, Tourism, Irrigation, Panchayati Raj, Rural Construction, Watershed, Religious Affairs and Culture, Satpal Maharaj said today that due to heavy rainfall, landslides, and floods, the Public Works Department (PWD) has incurred losses of more than Rs 554.38 crore so far.
He added that, during this monsoon season, more than 2,600 roads were damaged, out of which traffic has been restored on 2,406 roads. However, 195 routes are still blocked.
Maharaj further stated that, out of 1,703 blocked PWD roads, 1,624 have been reopened, while work is underway on the remaining 97 roads on war footing. Out of 24 closed National Highway (NH) routes, 23 have been restored. Under PMGSY, out of 869 damaged roads, 754 have been reopened for traffic, while restoration work on 115 roads is in progress. All roads under BRO and NHIDCL are currently fully operational.
The Minister added that JCB machines have been deployed at landslide-prone locations to ensure immediate clearance of blocked routes. A total of 684 machines have been stationed at critical and vulnerable spots across the state to maintain smooth connectivity.
