144 water supply schemes hit in Kullu area
Despite relentless efforts of the authorities to repair infrastructure damaged by incessant rain and snowfall, normalcy is yet to return in several areas of the district.
Though power has been restored in Kullu and Bhuntar, the Electricity Department could not restore it fully in Manali due to extensive uprooting of trees. Efforts to restore power in Palchan and suburbs of Manali are also underway.
The potable water supply has been disrupted in maximum areas and traffic came to a standstill in Kullu town after two vehicles got stuck in the slush accumulated by flash floods in the Brow nullah yesterday night.
Two kutcha houses collapsed due to flash floods in the Shastri Nagar drain yesterday. Many vehicles were buried in debris, causing significant losses to vehicle owners.
The Manali-Leh highway remained blocked due to snowfall beyond Nehru Kund. The Aut-Luhri highway has been blocked due to landslides at several spots and snow in the Jalori Pass. The Kullu-Manali highway, which was blocked near Raison, was cleared in the afternoon. However, the Kullu-Naggar-Manali left bank road is still blocked due to heavy landslide at Chharudu and the Bhuntar-Manikaran road is also blocked due to a landslide in Shaat.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh said around 1,646 transformers and 144 water supply schemes were still out of order in the district. She pointed out that snow clearance operations had begun from Nehru Kund towards Palchan.
All departments had been directed to restore normalcy on a war footing and continuous feedback was being gathered from the ground, she said.
Residents of Inner Akhara Bazaar urged the administration and the Jal Shakti Department to channelise drainage of the Math area.
Rohit, a local, alleged that residents of the Math area diverted their drains to flow downhill, resulting in landslides in Inner Akhara Bazaar. He said, “Our house became uninhabitable due to the landslide yesterday. We have shifted to a rented accommodation out of fear.”
Though farmers and gardeners heaved a sigh of relief following continuous rain, hailstorm in some areas destroyed flowering in cash crop trees. Due to overflowing drains in several parts of the town, locals suffered huge losses as the water entered their houses.
