Himachal Pradesh battles fresh monsoon onslaught, major highways closed

Kullu: Heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh on Friday as hundreds of roads, including Chandigarh-Manali, Manali-Leh, Aut-Jalori Jot, and Chamba-Pathankot highways, were closed, and power and water supply remained disrupted in many areas of the state. The Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked near Pandoh Dam in Mandi district following a massive landslide that swept away a stretch of the road early on Friday morning. A cab driver narrowly escaped after getting caught in the landslide.The highway closure triggered a huge traffic jam on both sides of the road. Hundreds of commuters, including tourists, remained stuck in the jam even as the local district administration diverted traffic for light vehicles through the alternate Mandi-Kamand-Bajaura-Kullu link road. However, even this link road also got blocked near Kandi village following a landslide as rains kept pouring. When the Public Works Department officials didn't send the machinery for more than an hour after the landslide occurred, the commuters, who were stuck in a jam, themselves cleared the debris and reopened the road.Mandi SP Shalini Agnihotri, who visited the landslide spot near Pandoh Dam, said all efforts were being made to reopen the highway as soon as possible. The highway was reopened temporarily after more than 10 hours in the evening, and only one-way traffic was allowed. On Thursday, a portion of the highway caved in at Kainchi Mod where the landslide occurred on Friday. The highway was also blocked for a few hours due to a landslide near Jagatkhana in Bilaspur district. After the debris was removed, the administration allowed one-way traffic on the landslide-prone patch of the highway.Aut-Banjar national highway 305 also got blocked near Balichowki due to a landslide, and the nearby Larji-Sainj road also remained closed on Friday. A flash flood in Marshen rivulet in Jispa in Lahaul Spiti blocked the Manali-Leh highway as huge debris, including muck and boulders, spread on the road. The debris also entered the nearby camp of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The storeroom of the camp was damaged in the flash flood. However, no loss of life was reported. The camp was evacuated following the damage, and all staff were shifted to the nearby camp in Stingri village. The debris was cleared in the evening hours, and the highway was reopened temporarily.The Manali-Leh highway was also blocked at Dhundi near Atal Tunnel following a landslide caused by heavy rainfall. A flash flood was also reported in Puhre Nullah near Tindi in Lahaul Spiti, which blocked the road connecting the tribal district with Killar in the Pangi sub-division of Chamba district. Another flash flood struck the Tisa-Sach Pass road in Chamba, as many vehicles got stranded in the water. The Chamba administration on Friday morning announced the closure of all schools in the district due to heavy rainfall.283 roads blockedOverall, 283 roads remained blocked in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, with the highest number, 174, in the disaster-hit Mandi district, 67 in Kullu, 21 in Chamba, 15 in Kangra, and 3 in Una. Power outages were reported from many areas as 314 transformers remained non-functional, with the highest number, 171, in Chamba, followed by 101 in Kullu and 32 in Mandi district. The water supply was also impacted as 221 water supply schemes remained disrupted, with the highest number, 93, in Chamba district, 60 in Kangra, and 58 in Mandi district of the state.Box: Malana bridge washed away The only bridge that connected Malana village with the rest of the Parvati Valley in Kullu district was washed away on Friday, cutting off the village from the rest of the district. The bridge was built by the Malana residents last year in August after the old one was washed away by a flooded Malana rivulet. The Malana residents decided to build the wooden bridge on their own after the Kullu administration failed to do so.Box: Death toll touches 176The death toll in Himachal Pradesh has reached 176 so far this monsoon. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), the highest number of deaths, 35, have been reported in Mandi district, 28 in Kangra, 18 in Kullu, 17 in Chamba, 15 in Shimla, 12 in Solan, 11 each in Una, Hamirpur, and Kinnaur, 8 in Bilaspur, 6 in Lahaul Spiti, and 4 in Sirmaur. MSID:: 123045775 413 |