Hilltop develops crack, travel on Chandigarh-Manali NH unsafe

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 26

Travelling between Pandoh and Aut on the Chandigarh-Manali highway could be risky as a hilltop near Deyod has developed a huge crack. Villagers fear that the crack may trigger a landslide, especially in the rainy season.

A landslide was earlier reported at Deyod on the Chandigarh-Manali highway yesterday, which disrupted traffic for some time. However, the road was restored soon to traffic.

The villagers living beside the hilltop noticed the huge crack today. Many of them have vacated the area in view of their safety.

A massive landslide occurred at Kotrupi village in Mandi district in 2017, in which two HRTC buses and a few other vehicles were buried. The tragedy killed 48 persons on the spot.

A team of IIT Mandi along with district administration officials visited the spot to review the situation. Sensing danger to human life, the district administration has deployed police personnel on both sides of the road at Deyod to keep a close vigil on the movement of vehicles. The sensors, developed by IIT Mandi, have been put up in the area to raise early warning about the landslide.

Superintendent of Police, Mandi, Gurdev Chand Sharma said a team of IIT Mandi along with a district administration team, visited the spot to review the situation. IIT experts said as there was a danger of landslide in the rainy season, sensors have been put up for an early warning.

He said that police personnel have been deployed in the area to keep a close vigil on the hilltop, where the crack has developed. The SP stated that the authorities concerned were mulling a drone survey of the area to find out the exact situation.

The tourist season being in full swing, the Chandigarh-Manali highway is busy these days witnessing a huge rush of tourist and local vehicles. Incidents have been reported on this road, where vehicles were damaged or people killed because of landslide.

The local people have blamed the National Highways Authority of India for this grave situation, alleging unscientific cutting of hills. As a result, they said the whole portion of the hills between Pandoh and Aut has become prone to landslide at various places.

Police personnel keep vigil

• A team of IIT Mandi along with district administration visited the spot. 
• Sensing danger, police personnel have been deployed on both sides of the road at Deyod to keep a close vigil. 
• Sensors developed by IIT Mandi have been put up to raise early warning of landslide.
• A drone survey of the area was under consideration to find out the exact situation.