Downpour continues, Kinnaur district cut off from rest of state

Tribal district of Kinnaur, known for its scenic natural beauty, has been cut off from the rest of the state for the past five days, causing a lot of inconvenience to locals.

According to reports, National Highway 05, also known as the Hindustan Tibet road, has been blocked at many places, including Nigulsari, as a result of landslides and shooting stones. This is also affecting the restoration work. As a result, the district has been cut off from the rest of the state. Apple growers in the districts are staring at heavy losses as they are finding it difficult to transport their produce to markets.

Abhishek Shekhar, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kinnaur, said that landslides are being report in several areas of the district, including Nathpa, Maling Nala and Shalkar, due to which roads were blocked. Teams have been deployed at the spot to clear roads of the debris.

“At present, the National Highway 05 is blocked near Nigulsari and efforts are being made to clear the road. Teams of district administration as well as the police are working to clear the road,” he said.

The SP further said that to ensure that fruit reaches markets in time, apple are being transported through ropeways.

Till now, as many as 14 persons have lost their lives in the district during the ongoing monsoon season as a result of various natural disasters such as cloudbursts, flashfloods, landslides, etc.

The district has witnessed as many as 14 flash floods, seven landslides and two cloudbursts due to torrential rains that continue to batter the district as well as the other parts of the state.