Increasing vehicular populations, coupled with better industrial growth in hill areas of Nainital district seems to have paved way for widening of the national highway-87 between Kathgodam and Nainital.
Though being a tourist destination, conditions of roads particularly the Haldwani/ Kathgodam – Nainital Road remains better, perhaps the recent developments in terms of increasing industrial as well as vehicular population, the National High Authority India (NHAI) is going to convert the important national highway- 87(NH-87) between Kathgodam and Nainital into double lane.
Apart from increasing vehicular populations on this stretch of the NH-87 between Kathodam and Nainital which totally represents a hilly terrain, strategic importance of this highway also seems t have necessitated widening of the aforesaid part of the national highway between the two cities i.e. Nainital and Kathodgam.
It is worth mention here that this aforesaid highway also connects the Kumaon division’s border district Pithoragarh and neighbouring Almora from Nainital’s Jyolikot. That is why many experts on strategic affairs believe here that better road condition linking border areas is vital to ensure better transport services in these areas. Following the recent Chinese incursions on the northern sector have only come as a waking up call for the Government, the experts here maintain.
The interesting fact is that better industrial growth that the Nainital district has witnessed in recent years under the hill industrial policy has also emerged as main driving force behind necessitating widening of the national highway between Kathgodam and Nainital.
The fact is that neighboring Bhimtal which is one of the major tourist destinations in this district, of late has also emerged as a hub of hotel and resorts under the same hill industrial policy. All these commercial activities have led to tremendous growth of vehicular population on this stretch of the NH-87 between Haldwnai/Kathgodam.
Keeping in view increasing number of vehicles we are planning to widen this national highway, said Om Prakash, Executive Engineer of the Kathgodam-Nainital division of the NH-87, while talking to The Pioneer. This is about a 34 km long road stretch. Though this said highway is in good condition with wide enough upto two lane size at many points, increasing vehicular crowd is the main reason behind widening of this road, he added.