Uttarakhand: PWD bars construction company from tender process after bridge road damage over Tons river
Dehradun, August 8
The Uttarakhand Public Works Department has taken major action against the contractor company in connection with the damage to the approach road of the bridge over the Tons River near Nanda Ki Chowki on the Dehradun-Paonta Sahib Highway.
The department has suspended Himalayan Construction with immediate effect and barred the company from participating in PWD tender processes until further orders.
The reconstruction and strengthening work of the previously damaged bridge over the Tons River at Km 143 of National Highway-72, near Uttaranchal University, was underway.
The work had been awarded to Himalayan Construction, 250 Sarthi Vihar, Dehradun, under Contract dated January 31, 2026.
Following heavy rainfall and flash floods on the morning of July 28, 2026, the bridge's approach road was damaged. A departmental investigation found that the damage occurred due to scouring beneath the upstream protection wall, which led to the failure of the approach road.
Meanwhile, several parts of Uttarakhand witnessed fresh spells of rain today, with Hatibharkala in Dehradun district recording the highest rainfall of 21.0 mm after 08:30 hrs IST today.
According to data released by the regional meteorological department, rainfall activity was recorded across various stations through both Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and manual observations.
In the AWS (Automatic Weather Stations) category, following Hatibharkala, Mussoorie recorded 12.0 mm, while Vikas Nagar saw 10.0 mm of rainfall. The state capital, Dehradun, recorded 7.5 mm. Other areas including Bhimtal (5.5 mm), Maldevta (2.5 mm), Mohakampur (1.5 mm), Ukhimath (1.5 mm), Jainti (1.5 mm), and Liti (1.0 mm) also received light showers.
Regarding manual observations recorded after 08:30 hrs IST today, Mussoorie registered 6.2 mm of rain and Pithoragarh recorded 0.3 mm. Meanwhile, Jollygrant reported 'trace' rainfall during the same period.
A weather alert has been issued for Uttarakhand, with heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted at isolated locations in the Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, and Chamoli districts tomorrow.
According to the weather warning, these three districts are likely to witness thunderstorms accompanied by very intense to extremely intense spells of rain and lightning.
"Heavy to very heavy rain likely to occur at isolated places in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand. Thunderstorm accompanied with very intense to extremely intense spells of rain and lightning likely to occur at isolated places in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand," the warning stated.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good action by the government, but why does it always take a disaster for them to act? The damage happened on July 28, it's August 8 now — took them 10 days to just suspend the contractor. What about the people who use that road daily? They need a proper timeline for repairs and compensation for anyone who suffered losses due to the damaged road.
As someone who travels Dehradun-Paonta regularly, this stretch is always risky during rainy season. The river's flow increases suddenly and the banks get eroded. Happy that action is taken but even happier about the weather alert — at least people in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, and Chamoli can stay prepared. Safety first! 💧
The investigation found scouring beneath the upstream protection wall — classic case of underestimating the river's power during flash floods. This is engineering failure, not just construction failure. PWD needs to have hydrologists and geotechnical engineers review ALL designs near rivers, not just after a collapse. Barring one company is just the first step.
It's good that PWD took swift action, and the weather warning is crucial. Hills are already fragile, and with this much rain, landslides are a real threat. People should avoid unnecessary travel to Bageshwar and Pithoragarh tomorrow. These remote areas have limited connectivity — staying indoors is safer. Stay safe, everyone! 🌧️
Honestly, just suspending them is not enough. They should be blacklisted and made to pay for the repair costs. In India, we have a bad habit of
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