Bridge collapse causes losses to Kala Amb estate

The entire industry of Himachal Pradesh's upcoming Kala Amb industrial belt has been paralysed due to the collapse of the bridge over the Markanda river at the Himachal-Haryana border.

The bridge, which collapsed late last week leaving four persons dead, used to serve as the main link to scores of industrial units in the Kala Amb industrial area in Sirmaur district.

At present there are only two dusty and narrow link roads, causing worry among industrialists and making the need for speedy repair of the bridge more urgent.

The local unit of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Kala Amb says until the bridge is repaired, the loss to local industry could run into crores every day as the bridge served as the lifeline for supply of raw material and finished goods to the region.

Production has reportedly already dipped in many units as the bridge also linked the industrial area to the Brara railway line in Haryana.

The state's excise and taxation department fears evasion of tax as traffic has been diverted to the dirt roads of Sainwala-Naraingarh and Amb-Saketi-Nahan roads.

Several truckers are reportedly also reluctant to drive on these link roads and are waiting for the repair of the bridge, which could take several weeks, say officials.