Landslide blocks Chandigarh-Manali highway, cleared

Kullu: The Manali-Chandigarh highway was blocked again for a few hours at 6 Miles near Mandi following a landslide on Friday. As many as 242 roads are already closed in Himachal Pradesh due to rain-related incidents.
An official said the highway remained closed for two hours before it was cleared of debris. Meanwhile, the administration diverted the traffic through link roads.
A highly landslide-prone zone, 6 Miles is located near Pandoh in Mandi district, where road-widening work is currently on. This particular stretch has been witnessing frequent landslides since the onset of monsoon.
Likewise, the Mandi-Pathankot road has also been hit by landslides near 32 Miles. Kangra deputy commissioner Nipun Jindal visited the area on Friday to take stock of the situation and directed the NHAI officials to repair the highway at the earliest.
Of the 242 roads blocked in the state, 74 are in Mandi district, 42 in Shimla, 33 in Solan and 32 in Kullu. Chandigarh-Shimla highway, which was reopened on August 8 after a week, was closed again on Thursday night. Traffic movement, however, resumed on the stretch on Friday afternoon.