Landslip hits traffic on Parwanoo road

Tribune News Service

Solan, August 17

The movement of vehicles on the Parwanoo-Dharampur stretch of the National Highway-05 was disrupted following a landslide near Sanwara around 2 pm today.

With heavy rain lashing the area since morning, loose soil from the excavated hill gave way and spilled onto the highway. Motorists had a close shave as passersby signalled the vehicles to stop as soon as the debris started falling.

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Within seconds, the entire lane facing the hill was covered with debris. Several trees fell on the road, creating a scare among the motorists.

It took about an hour to remove the blockade by the staff of GR Infraprojects, which is four-laning the highway. Being a weekend, there is a heavy flow of traffic on the highway.

Commuters had to go through a harrowing time after a multi-axle truck developed a snag near Jabli, which restricted the movement of vehicles in a single lane, causing the traffic to move at a snail’s pace.

Parwanoo DSP Yogesh Rolta said the movement of vehicles on the Parwanoo-Dharampur section of the highway was restored within an hour around 3 pm as an earth-moving machine was pressed into service to clear the road.

The incessant rain also caused widespread damage to roads in neighbouring Sirmaur district, where rural roads are the worst sufferers.

Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur, Dr RK Pruthi, said as many as 24 roads had been blocked in the district, which includes four in Shillai, eight in Sangrah, 10 in Rajgarh and two in Nahan. A loss of Rs 94.10 lakh has been suffered on account of road damage by the Public Works Department.