Indian Stretchable Time is infamous! Indians
are known to be the most unpunctual breed on the Planet. Always in a rush, never
on time! Witness the maniacs overtaking from the left or zooming by from the
right. You catch them at the next red light. So what was the need to speed?
Some of the most delightful drives in the
country, maybe in the world, were the Kalka -Shimla Road, the drive to Manali
along the River Beas and the drive onwards from Narkanda. This was the
Hindustan-Tibet road and followed the river Satluj. All these drives had one
common denomination; mighty mountains, speculator scenery unfolded around every
corner and raging rivers.
Slowly, safely, serenely you wound your way
along a country road. You had time to enjoy the scenery. For many it was a
first brush with the mighty Himalaya, rushing rivers, snow clad peaks.
The journey was relaxing. In the lap of
Mother Nature, absorbing its beauty, cocooned in the luxury and safety of your
car.
You stopped along the way at a Himachali
Dhaba. The king of snacks was of course, a freshly plucked bhutta. As you
waited, the mist rolled in and kissed you gently on the cheek. The first few
drops of rain on the soil released the petrichor, that delightful earthy smell.
You sat in the car munching on the mountain
fresh bhutta, roasted to perfection and garnished with nimboo and rock salt,
the rain came thundering down.
All these seven star delights have
disappeared in the onslaught of progress.
The Kalka- Shimla Highway is being 4-laned.
The idea is to reduce the driving time from 5-6 hours to 3.
Why?
To begin with you will miss the beauty of the
mountains, the majestic pine trees, the mighty oaks and colourful
rhododendrons.
All thanks to the man- made disaster of 4-laning.
And the moot question; why does anyone want
to go to Shimla? No parking, no water, frequent power cuts.
An old Shimla hand, took a friend for a day’s
drive to Shimla last summer.
From Victory Tunnel he was direced to Lakkar
Baazar, no parking! On to Sanjauli and St.Beads, no parking! On to Chota Shimla.
No parking!
Three hours later he was back at Victory
Tunnel. He came back to Chandigarh after 12 hours on the road!
With the vast experience of 4-laning the
Kalka- Shimla highway, the same engineering experience, or the lack of it is
being replicated on the 42 km Kullu-Manali stretch. The current fatality rate
is one a day! This is only the beginning.
Again, the same question why does anyone want
to go to Manali? The Rohtang Pass of course! All tourist activity in Himachal
centres around Rohtang.
Today, the biggest thrill is the drive
through the Atal Tunnel. A great experience these winter days. Drive in from the Manali side and as you exit
a landscape white washed with fresh snow greets you.
Before the National Green Tribunal put a cap
on cars going to Rohtang Top, it was a free for all to get to the Snow Point.
Since there were no rules or restrictions, about 3,000 vehicles would go up to
Rohtang Top!
This effectively destroyed the famous Rohtang
Pass.
The 100 kilometre drive, Manali-Rohtang and
back, was taking 8 to 10 hours! No snow, no tourist activity. You spent the day
stuck in traffic! See photograph.
Now swallow this; 965 meter one way Barog
bypass tunnel started in 2015, not yet completed. Four years, crores spent. For
what? To reduce a distance from Shimla to Chandigarh by 3.5 km. Really! No
accountability, no sensibility. No justification.
Do we need 4-laning or do we need to preserve
our National Natural Heritage?