Incomplete 11-km road leaves Uttarakhand's Seva villagers cut off from basic services

UTTARKASHI: Residents of Seva village in Mori tehsil of Uttarkashi district continue to struggle due to the lack of basic amenities and road connectivity, as a long-pending road project remains incomplete. Located near the Himachal Pradesh border, the village currently depends on the neighbouring state for essential services.While a road connecting Seva to Himachal Pradesh has been built, Uttarakhand's proposed 11-km road linking Seva to Dhaula remains unfinished, despite construction beginning nearly a decade ago. Village leaders Kamla Devi, Kaku Fauzian and Praveen Fauzian said initial work on a footpath between Dhaula and Seva was started but halted after only two-three km. "The absence of proper road connectivity forces villagers to walk long distances to access govt services," said Kamla Devi, adding that residents must cross the damaged Runata drain via a precarious footpath, risking their lives. "During medical emergencies, the situation becomes critical. Recently, when a woman's condition worsened, villagers carried her on their shoulders to Himachal for treatment," she said.Deepak Chauhan, a resident of nearby Dodra Kwar in Himachal Pradesh, said, "The lack of connectivity causes daily hardship, especially in winter when the Changseel route is closed due to snowfall. If the road from Dhaula to Seva is constructed, it will benefit residents of Dodra Kwar as well."Subhash Kumar, assistant engineer, PMGSY Purola, said, "A survey for the proposed road has been completed, but construction is stalled due to pending forest land transfer approvals. Once the forest clearance is obtained, the detailed project report will be prepared and work can begin."