By Rajesh Sharma under the editorship of: Rajesh Sharma Updated: Do, 09 Oct 2025 11:16 am (IST) There are 172 places in Himachal Pradesh where the mountains became dangerous, making travel risky. The warning boards drawn up by the National Highway Authority and the Department of Public Works are a mere formality as it is not clearly visible. After the construction of four lanes, the mountains’ instability increased, which increased the incidents of stone fall. There are 451 black spots in the state, where 395 people have died for the past four years. Darka Pahad on Manali Highway in the district of Mandi of Himachal Pradesh. File Photo State Bureau, Shimla. Driving in the mountains has always been risky. The situation is such that there are 172 places in Himachal Pradesh, where mountains remain dangerous and travel is risky. Even before the construction of four lanes, the incidents of stone that fell off hills were common in places such as Gumma in Mandi district, Nigulsari in the Kinnraur district and Swarghat in the Bilaspur district. In addition, vehicle movement was disrupted in many places due to debris. Remove ad read only News National Highways Authority of India (Nhai) and the Department of Public Works has installed warning boards in these places for safety, but it has become mere formalities. The size of these boards is so small that they disappear from the sight of drivers. After the construction of Four Lane, the mountain side of Parwanoo-Shimla Four Lane was closed in many places. A similar situation is also seen on Kiratpur-Manali Four Lane. After the construction of four lanes, the mountains became unstable and the incidents of stone drop increased. The mountain that slides into Kotrupi for many years during the monsoon season has now stopped. Warning boards are not visible along the way. Warning councils were installed by the Nhai and the Department of Public Works along the way, but its effectiveness is questionable. For the safety of passengers, warning boards must be clearly visible from a distance of 100-200 meters, but the reality is that no attempts have been made to increase their visibility. Yellow taping can warn drivers and passengers, but it has not yet been implemented. 451 Black spots, 395 deaths in four years 451 black spots on the roads of the state identified by the Department of Public Works invite accidents. According to police, 395 people have died in these black places for the past four years. The Road Transport and Highways Ministry sent a list in this regard to the Department of Himachal Transport. The department improves the retention of walls, parapettes, accidental barriers, road signs and sharp turns to eliminate black spots. This work continues throughout the year. A provision of Rs 15.62 crore was made for these reforms in the financial year 2024-25, which was further increased this year. The department identified black spots from the year 2021 to 2024 and the department claimed it would recover 1147.
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