Shiller-Pathia road severely eroded after heavy rain
Motorists and schoolchildren faced grave risk on the morning of July 9, 2026, as the Shiller-Pathia link road near Kasauli eroded precariously under heavy rain, significantly reducing its carriageway. The dilapidated single-lane road, lacking a retaining wall, saw erosion at multiple points, with mounds of muck and boulders rolling down from the excavated hill and blocking the already narrow path. Uprooted trees further compounded the problem.
Schoolchildren forced to walk on slushy path
Small children were compelled to walk several kilometres on the slushy road after the school bus driver deemed it too risky to continue. Residents reported that the road had been in a deteriorating state since its second inauguration in July 2025 by Congress MLA Vinod Sultanpuri. "Though we have been demanding its repair ever since it was inaugurated in July last year, the PWD staff paid no heed to our request," lamented Manish, a Shiller resident.
Rs 3.52 crore NABARD-funded road questioned
A sum of Rs 3.52 crore was spent on this 3.5-km-long road, funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Residents questioned why retaining and breast walls were not constructed at vulnerable locations, noting that the excavated hill had been eroding after every rain spell. They alleged that while a pedestrian path already existed, the road was barely widened and only a few shoddy culverts were laid.
History of incomplete construction
Former Kasauli MLA Dr Rajiv Saizal had laid the foundation stone in October 2020, and the road was first inaugurated in 2022 despite pending concretisation work. In the absence of timely metalling, the road has developed potholes, and water accumulates at several places after rain. Slush makes navigation challenging for motorists and endangers pedestrians due to the lack of an adequate concrete base.
