BRO restores Manali-Leh road blocked near Zingzingbar due to flashfloods

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 5

Flashfloods led to the blockade of the Manali-Leh highway for traffic movement near Zingzingbar in Lahaul and Spiti district for a few hours today. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored the highway to traffic by noon.

The road leading to the Pangi region of Chamba district from Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti was blocked due to flashfloods in the Dhandhal nullah. The work to restore the road was in progress.

Heavy flooding last evening caused significant disruptions in the Kaza region. Flood waters caused extensive damage to the intake site, resulting in the shutdown of the Rongtong powerhouse. Roads were also blocked at five locations between Sumling and Morang, prompting immediate action to restore connectivity.

Rahul Jain, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kaza, said that the BRO had instructed New India Company to deploy machinery to clear the blocked roads. The Kaza-Losar road was fully restored for all vehicles.

During the flooding, an HRTC bus and 17 workers traveling from Kaza to Losar were stranded near Sumling last night. The residents of Sumling village provided food and shelter to the stranded people.

“A tractor and a JCB machine were submerged in flood waters between Morang and Sumling. While the tractor has been retrieved, the JCB machine remains stuck. The road near Mane Dak has also been obstructed and the BRO is working to reopen it,” the ADC said.

“Flashflood at Mane Dank and Shichiling village in Spiti region inundated farm land and some houses of Shichling village with muck. Some vehicles were also stuck in between. The restoration work is in process,” he added.

The ADC stated that five tourists of Rajasthan state were evacuated from the Mane Dhank bridge site.

Due to the heavy flow of the Chanderbhaga river in the Lahaul valley near Tadang village, residents were evacuated to Junda village. The road near the Ladarcha ground in the Lahaul valley has been reopened. Around 50 vehicles and 250 people were moved to safe places from the area.

Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul and Spiti, Rahul Kumar said that five roads were blocked in the Lahaul region. The blocked roads included the Darcha-Shinkula-Padum road, while five roads were blocked in the Spiti region. The work to restore the road was under progress. No person, however, was stranded because of the blockade of these roads.

Disruptions in Kaza

• Heavy flooding Sunday evening caused significant disruptions in Kaza region
• Flood waters caused extensive damage to the intake site, resulting in the shutdown of the Rongtong powerhouse
• Roads were also blocked at five locations between Sumling and Morang, prompting immediate action from the BRO to restore connectivity
• An HRTC bus and 17 workers traveling from Kaza to Losar were stranded near Sumling due to blocked road