While the public representatives, including ministers, are nowadays busy in laying foundation stone of roads in their respective areas across the region, poor condition of roads, including national highways, come as a major challenge for the State Government to woo tourists during winter season.
Tourists from across the globe visit here only to spend their leisure time in peace and comfort, not to experience the jolts of the potholed roads. Tour operators here are of the view that at a time when the festive season and most of the religious or cultural activities have almost passed, proper basic infrastructure facilities may come in handy for the State Government to attract the tourists to visit the Himalayan State.
However, poor conditions of roads tell a different tale here, they regret. The Bareilly-Haldwani-Nainital national highway that connects the rest of the northern India with the Kumaon division continues to be in a poor State. Despite two tragic road in which two persons including a woman were killed in two separate incidents on October 10 and October 20 due to potholes on the said national highway, continue to remind any visitor how dangerous it to travel on this national highway which is important from strategic point of view also.
The interesting fact is that the aforesaid Haldwani- Nainital Bareilly national highway passes through the constituencies of both State Finance Minister and MlA from Haldwani Indira Haridayesh and State labour and Dairy Development Minister and MlA from lalkuan Harish Durgapal. But as far as their responsibilities are concerned in providing better basic services to the citizens, they seem to have done nothing except warning the officials concerned for the sorry State of these roads.
Following increasing cases of road accidents on the aforesaid national highway Durgapal, however, said that the condition of the highway caused by increasing number of potholes is matter of serious concern. He also inspected the aforesaid national highway after the October 20 road accident and gave ultimatum to the officials concerned to repair the potholes within three days.
However, the MlA from Haldwani and State Finance Minister Indira Haridayesh after the tragic road accidents said that maintenance of these national highways is with the Government of India. Therefore, the State Government can't do much except urging the Centre to improve the condition of the national highways.
Yet the State Government is trying to get the charge of looking after maintenance of these national highways from the Centre, she maintained. "But we would like to ask the State Government that if it wants to pass the responsibility of maintenance of the national highways to the Central Government, why is it not serious about maintenance of its own roads," asks Pankaj, a tour operator in Bhimtal.
People associated with the tourism activities in Bhimtal area are quite upset with poor condition of the Bhimtal- Naukuchiyatal Road. The tour operators here are of the view that nothing has been done to repair the said road despite repeated requests, he further says. Due to poor condition of this road that connects Bhimtal to Naukuchiyatal, tourism sector has suffered badly.
Apart from boating, this area is known for its natural beauty. People from across the country and globe earlier used to come in big number here. But arrival of the guests has drastically come down nowadays following poor road connectivity, added Pankaj. The condition of the main Haldwani -Bhawali- Almora highway is not less concerning. The aforesaid road stretch between in Bhawali and Ratighat/ Khairna area is badly damaged at many places, as the local people of these areas have complained.
Since it is a hilly area, therefore condition of this national highway only gets worsened during every monsoon season. Keeping in view vulnerability of this road to natural calamities the officials concerned must take some permanent measures to improve this road condition. But nothing is done except some repair works, alleged, Mahipal Pokhariya, of Khairna. "Therefore, we demand from the Government to improve the road condition as early as possible," he added.