Dharamsala road buried under debris

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 17

Heavy rain lashed the Kangra region today, leading to landslides, roads cave-in, flash floods in rivulets, disrupting normal life in the district.

There was a heavy landslide on the Dharamsala-Kangra road near Chatru. The district administration had to divert traffic to Dharamsala-Dari-Sheela road till the muck was cleared from the main road.

Kangra DC Rakesh Prajapati declared a holiday in all educational institutions.

Read more: 

• Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Himachal, hundreds of travellers stranded 
• Heavy rain ravages Kangra, Kullu, Chamba
• Dharamsala road buried under debris
• 2 rescued from Beas; school building washed away
• Landslip hits traffic on Parwanoo road
• Normal life thrown out of gear in Palampur
• Water to be released from Pandoh dam today
• Rain fury in HP, dams near full

The traffic on the Pathankot-Kangra-Mandi road was also disrupted as a portion of the road caved in near the Chambi crossing. Congress leader Kewal Singh Pathania alleged that they had given at least 20 memoranda to various authorities that the road required a retaining wall. However, all pleas fell on deaf ears.

The rivulet flowing along the Chamunda Devi temple was in spate. The low-lying areas along the temple were flooded.

The McLeodganj-Dharamsala road that witnessed landslides near Dharamsala Cantonment also suffered damages at many places. The authorities were yet to repair the damage caused to the road during last monsoon. The HRTC suspended plying of heavy buses on the road.

In Chamba district also, traffic was disrupted due to landslides on most roads.

The roads where the traffic was disrupted included the Chamba-Pathankot road due to landslide near Parihar, the Chamba-Jot road due to landslide near Kalidhar, the Chamba-Salooni road due to flash flood in a local rivulet, Chamba-Bharmour road due to landslide near Luna, the Tissa-Chamba road and Chamba-Khani road.

Alert has also been issued for people living in the lower areas on the banks of the Beas in Kangra district. The areas get flooded if the BBMB releases more water from the Pong.