Chandigarh-Manali NH blocked for 3 hrs

Mandi, August 26

A fresh landslide at 7 Mile near Pandoh in Mandi district blocked the Chandigarh-Manali highway for almost three hours today. As a result, a large number of vehicles, which were either heading towards Kullu from Mandi or vice versa, were stuck.

It was the second consecutive day when a major landslide occurred at 7 Mile near Pandoh in Mandi. Yesterday, the area had witnessed a major landslide near Pandoh, which blocked the traffic movement between Mandi and Kullu for almost 12 hours.

According to the police, this highway was blocked due to a landslide around 8.15 am today. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) engaged its workforce and machinery to clear the debris from the road. The traffic was restored at 11.30 am.

This highway has become prone to landslides between Mandi and Kullu due to the ongoing construction work of the Kiratpur-Manali fourlane project. There is deep cutting of the hillside, which results in landslides during monsoon.

Mandi district is receiving incessant rain for the past two days, triggering landslides in the area. ASP Ashish Sharma told The Tribune that the highway was restored after nearly three hours.

Frequent landslides on the highway have affected the tourism industry of Kullu and Manali badly because tourists feel unsafe while travelling on the road, especially during the monsoons. — TNS