Exercise to maintain frost free roads started in Pithoragarh after three deaths
Listen to this articleExercise to maintain frost free roads started in Pithoragarh after three deaths
B.D. Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Dec 21
Construction agencies of various roads in the district have started spreading lime power and salt on frost ridden parts of roads maintained by them on the orders of the Pithoragarh District Magistrate.
The exercise was started by the administration after three persons died near Paleta on December 20, 2023 on Pithoragarh- Dharchula road, when their vehicle slipped into deep gorge due to frost deposits on the road.
“We had already issued orders to these agencies on November 17, this year them to install signboards at frost ridden roads, spread lime and salt on frost and give information of the work to DDMO, Pithoragarh,” said Reena Joshi, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.
The departments, who have been ordered to spread lime on frost ridden roads are executive engineer’s of public works department,,Executive Engineer,s of PMGSY, Executive Engineers of rural engineering service, NH and all four road construction units of Border Roads Organisation (BRO0.”All these road construction and maintaining agencies have been have been reminded of earlier orders and have been ordered to act with immediately to avoid further road accidents on their roads due to frost,” said DM.
According to DDMO office, BRO that maintains Dharchula to Pithoragarh road and NH, that maintains Pithoragarh to Ghat road, have already started spreading lime power on frost ridden portions of the roads. “They have also installed signboards at entry points of frost ridden roads and started spreading lime power and salt to help melt the frost,” said Bhupendra Singh Mahar, District Disaster Management Officer(DDMO), Pithoragarh.
According to DDMO sources, the departments will have to spread lime after every 2nd day on frost ridden portions as the lime acts only for 2 days.”These departments have already sent photographs of signboards installed and lime spreading exercises,” said DDMO.
The main frost ridden roads in the district are road from Pithoragarh to Dharchula and from Pithoragarh to Ghat, maintained by National Highway (NH) and BRO respectively.”We are waiting information from other construction and maintaining agencies of roads in the district,” said the DDMO.
