Shimla, September 19: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday ordered the suspension of toll tax collection at the Sanwara plaza on the Chandigarh–Shimla National Highway (NH-5) from September 20 to October 30, citing poor road conditions and lack of basic facilities.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma passed the interim order while taking suo motu cognisance of the issue. The bench directed the Solan deputy commissioner to assist the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in improving road conditions and assessing law and order problems. The next hearing is scheduled for October 30.
The court had earlier rapped NHAI on August 28 for failing to maintain the premium highway, warning that toll collection at Sanwara could be suspended if urgent corrective steps were not taken. “Apparently, the authorities of the NHAI are turning a blind eye even to maintain the premium highway,” the bench observed then, noting that the matter has been pending since 2017.
The August order also noted repeated disruptions at Chakki Mod, where road closures in July and August reduced the highway to a single lane, triggering five-kilometer-long traffic jams. The bench underlined the economic fallout, especially during apple season, as farmers struggled to move perishable produce to the plains.
The court further sought details of contractors handling stretches from Parwanoo to Solan and Solan to Kaithlighat, questioning whether work was being awarded to firms “deficient in providing adequate service.”
The Sanwara Toll Plaza near Dharampur sees an estimated 15,000 vehicles daily, generating about ₹11 lakh in toll revenue.
