Landslip blocks Aut-Luhri road

Our Correspondent

Kullu, July 29

The traffic movement has been restored on the Aut-Luhri National Highway-305. The highway was blocked for 12 hours after heavy rain triggered landslides at Mashnu Nullah and Kot Nullah at Anni in the district yesterday. The NHAI authorities engaged bulldozers to clear the road for light vehicles, though falling debris and incessant rain made the task difficult.

The commuters were a harried lot as buses going towards Kullu could only ply till Khanag. Vehicles transporting fruits and vegetables were also stuck raising apprehension of financial loss to growers. The NHAI was facing a lot of difficulty in restoring the route due to the falling debris on the road.

The highway is the lone road, which connects the outer Seraj Valley with the district headquarters at Kullu. Traffic has been frequently disrupted due to landslides at Mashnu Nullah and Kot Nullah in the past five years.

Residents of the valley rue the highway authorities have failed to take concrete steps to prevent landslips and rock fall in the landslide-prone areas on the highway. The road was washed away in a cloudburst five years ago. They said despite such incidents, the NHAI had not erected crate walls to prevent further landslides.

There have been reports of damage to cash crops due to heavy rain in various parts of the district. Deputy Commissioner Yunus Khan stated that the departments concerned had been advised to restore normalcy in the areas hit by flash flood. He said relief would be provided to the affected after analysing reports from various departments.

The outer Seraj Valley is cut off from the district headquarters at Kullu as the Aut-Luhri NH-305 remains closed for four months during the winters due to heavy snowfall in higher the reaches.