S

pring ensured newness.

The emerald mountain

slopes and golden fields

of wheat represented

a new phase in

Uttarakhand in March-April. But the

badly built road gave the old feeling of

discomfort and distress for entire drive,

approximately fifteen hours. Fresh

flowers on many bare and leafy trees had

balmy effect on the eyes and mind. The

mountainous road connecting devotees

and the coveted temples was deadly for

both. Still everyone loves the road. The

average speed slightly

exceeded twenty-

kilometer per hour.

Then, why not cycle

and save fuel and

environment?

The road I travelled

and described here

is approximately 300 km stretch of

the National Highway 7 (NH7) in

Uttarakhand. The highway shrunk

commuting time between Dehradun

and Joshimath and yet lengthened wait

period along the numerous dangerous

areas, including landslide spots and

construction zones. The highway was

in widening mode, creating four lanes.

Long thick black pipes with bright

green or orange interiors occupied

wide edges of the road. The pipes

would secure optical fiber cables

providing 4G connections in future.

Could the first generation road support

the 4G network? I felt the road was a

“neglected” work in progress.

If you rely on local “gyan,” the widening

of the NH7 had political roots. The

road would increase automobile sales,

a reward for automobile manufacturers

sponsoring the elections, and the

number of visitors. This would create

employment in local automobile and

complementary segments.

Still, the highway covering five districts,

Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri

Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli,

engaged my senses. Beside the highway,

the Himalayan rivers strolled, ran, or

The pipes would secure optical fiber

cables providing 4G connections in future.

Could the first generation road support

the 4G network? I felt the road was a

“neglected” work in progress.

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Volume 4, Issue 1 | June 2019