Demand to channelise Beas to avert damage to Manali highway
Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, August 4
In the light of the recent damage to the Chandigarh-Manali highway between Kullu and Manali, hoteliers in Manali have reiterated their demand for channelisation of the Beas river from Palchan to Kullu. They argue that the river’s seasonal flooding consistently wreaks havoc on the highway and the surrounding areas, posing a significant threat to public and private property.
Anup Thakur, president of the Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal, voiced the growing frustration of local business owners. “We have been requesting the state government to channelise the Beas river from Palchan to Kullu to prevent damage to the highway and protect public and private properties,” Thakur stated.
“The Chandigarh-Manali highway is vital for accessing Manali from Chandigarh. Frequent blockades on this highway due to river flooding adversely affect the tourism industry, with which we have been grappling for years,” he remarked.
The state government had discussed the need for channelisation after last year’s devastating rains, which caused extensive damage to the highway. Despite discussions, concrete steps towards addressing the issue have not been taken, he rued.
Stating that the channelisation of Beas was the long-pending demand of the people, Hem Raj Sharma, a Manali hotelier, said, “Until the channelisation of Beas begins, there is an urgent need to identify black spots on the Kullu-Manali highway and take technical assistance to protect the road from damage”.
“Simultaneously, the state government should make effort to fourlane Left Bank road via Naggar to Manali from Kullu to ensure round-the-year connectivity with Manali,” said Gajender Thakur, former president of the Manali Hoteliers’ Association.Local businesses are particularly concerned about the financial losses incurred at the time of the highway blockades and the region’s infrastructural challenges increasing with each passing year.
Hoteliers and local stakeholders have since long highlighted how floods year after year disrupt traffic flow along the crucial Chandigarh-Manali highway, a key route for tourism and trade.
