Chutupalu Charhi Ghati: Centre Sanctions Rs 239.40 Crore to Fix NH-20 Hill Stretch

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 239.40 crore to fix the Chutupalu and Charhi ghats on the Ranchi-Hazaribagh highway, two hill sections known for brake-failure crashes involving loaded trucks. It is only 5.99 km of road, but at about Rs 40 crore a km this is hill-cutting and grade work, not resurfacing. Contractors and plant owners in Ranchi, Ramgarh and Hazaribagh should expect it to come to tender once forest clearance is in place.

What the ministry approved

Ranchi MP and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth announced the sanction on 29 October, saying Nitin Gadkari had informed him by letter. ETV Bharat, Prabhat Khabar and Amar Ujala all reported the same figure and length. A follow-up Prabhat Khabar report on 30 October, citing NHAI’s Ranchi office, says the plan is a new four-lane road on a fresh alignment cut into the hillside next to the existing road. It says the DPR is ready and that forest clearance is the main hurdle. The ministry’s letter, as reported, does not describe the alignment.

Does a ghat fix change what a contractor should line up?

Yes, because of the rate. About Rs 40 crore a km is far above the roughly Rs 16 crore a km we have seen on plain two-lane widening, though below the Rs 71 crore a km of the Solapur elevated corridor. Money at that level on a hill road usually goes into cutting rock, easing gradients and holding up slopes.

That points to a specific fleet. In a hill cut, hydraulic breakers on excavators and drill rigs do the heavy work. Blasting next to a busy national highway will be tightly limited, so expect breakers to carry more of the rock than usual. Tippers will run short loads to fill sections, then dozers, graders and soil compactors will build up the new grade. Retaining walls, drains and crash barriers bring in batching plants, transit mixers and small cranes. Narrow ghat benches limit machine size, so 13 to 21 tonne excavators fit better than 30-tonne crawlers. Our road construction equipment guide lists the paving train that follows.

The open question is history. In June, Prabhat Khabar reported that NHAI had floated a black-spot tender of about Rs 140 crore for the same two ghats, with bids opening on 25 June, two years to build and five years of maintenance. No report says whether that tender was awarded, cancelled or folded into this bigger sanction. Firms that bid in June should find out before they plan for a fresh round.

On the money alone, this looks like one mid-sized package on a single site for about two years. That suits owning the core excavators and hiring breakers and cranes as needed.

FAQ

How much was sanctioned for the Chutupalu and Charhi ghats?

Rs 239.40 crore, approved by the road transport ministry for 5.99 km of NH-33 (new NH-20) between Ranchi and Hazaribagh, plus black-spot safety work.

Has a contractor been appointed?

No. Only the sanction has been announced. Prabhat Khabar reports that NHAI will tender the work after forest clearance.

Why does the work cost about Rs 40 crore a km?

The ghats need cutting and grade easing to stop brake failures on the descent. That means rock work, slope protection and drainage, which cost far more than widening on flat ground.

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Source: ETV Bharat