TRANSPORT
The development of tribal areas in the state, is another step taken by the
government for its economic development. The two border districts of Kinnaur and
Lahaul and Spiti and the Pangi and Brahmour tehsils of chamber districts are the
main tribal areas of the state. They are located on he borders of Tibet. Cut off
from the country and even from the rest of Himachal Pradesh for lack of motorable
roads, life in these areas had grown in isolation.
Kinnaur opened up in early nineteen sixties with the completion of the
Hindustan-Tibet National highway and the construction of link roads to it. Land
tenure system has improved, and tenants have become land owners. They are using
improved seeds, fertilizers and pesticides and most of the households have fruit
trees, mostly apple. they are engaged in cottage industries, the most important
being the spinning and weaving of wool.
Lahaul was opened up in the late sixties with the construction of motorable
road over Rohtang pass. High passes like Rohtang (130,50ft), Kunzum (14,913ft)
and Baralarcha (14,000ft) provide the only contact to Lahaul. Lahaul has fertile
valleys.
Spiti is almost a hill desert and has seen much less development. A hill
desert development plan under which, it is proposed to link irrigation channel
to major glaciers and streams which can provide adequate amount of
water to large number of fields. Lift irrigation schemes are being undertaken,
in the areas of Spiti, Chandra and Bhaga rivers.
Building up of an efficient transport system was the top priority in the 1st
Five year plan. The state has 2 airports at Bhintar in Kulu district, and at
Jubbarhatti near Shimla. Another airport at Gaggal in Kangra district and sites
at Mandi, Hamerpur and Chamba have been identified. It was only by Jan 1991
Himachal was linked with the broad gauge system in UNA by extending the Delhi-Nangal
rail line. But railways and airways in Himachal can serve very limited transport
needs of the people of the state. Road transport constitutes the very plasma of
economic and social infra structure in Himachal.
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