Himachal Tourism Suffers 500 Crore Loss as Landslides Block Key Highways, Calls for SIT Investigation

Shimla, August 7: The Anti-Corruption Forum’s coordinator, Tikendra Panwar, has filed a complaint at the Paramanu police station, raising concerns over the closure of the Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH) and the Kullu-Manali NH due to heavy monsoon rains and landslides. Panwar alleges that the construction of these highways violated rules and regulations, as the cutting of mountains was done unscientifically, resulting in frequent landslides that have adversely affected Himachal Pradesh’s tourism industry.

The tourism business in Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses amounting to 500 crores in July alone, which needs to be compensated by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Moreover, Panwar has demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the construction work carried out by NHAI.

Tikendra Panwar has also accused the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam (Water Management Corporation Shimla) of corruption. He alleges that tenders were manipulated every year to benefit contractors. Contracts were repeatedly awarded to the same contractors, causing financial losses to the people of Shimla. For instance, in the water and sewerage department of Shimla, 859 lakh rupees were given to contractors instead of the designated 137 lakh rupees per year, leading to a difference of 2166 lakh rupees over three years (722*3). Panwar has called for a thorough investigation into the alleged corruption within the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam as well.