Efforts on to restore Pathankot-Mandi highway

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 21

A day after massive landslides caused huge losses to public and private infrastructure in Kangra, the administration was still struggling to clear the Pathankot-Mandi national highway (NH) at many places.

Biggest damage to the highway was caused near Chambi, about 20 km from Dharamsala. Till the filing of this report, the highway could only partially be cleared for vehicular traffic in the Chambi area.

However, traffic on the road had to be diverted as another landslide had blocked the road near Gaggal airport. The traffic on NH was diverted through Charri-Garoh road.

The shopkeepers whose shops along highway near Chambi were buried under debris were still waiting to get these cleared.

Though the traffic on Dharamsala-Kangra road was opened for vehicular traffic today threat of landslides on the road still loomed.

Sources said that rampant cutting of hills by private individuals along the road might have converted some stretches on the road permanently prone to landslides after rains.

Geologists had already warned the district administration some stretches of road had become permanent landslide-prone spots. However, the NH department had not taken any action against the people cutting hills along the NH.

Deputy Commissioner Kangra Nipun Jindal, when asked, said that he would write to the NH department to take action against people cutting hill illegally along the national highways.

He said that till PWD infrastructure had suffered loss of about 80 crores till date due to heavy rains in Kangra district. The IPH department has reported loss of about Rs 20 crores whereas the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has reported loss of Rs 2 crore. The total loss to public infrastructure has been pegged at Rs 102 crores, he said.

He also said that today six houses were damaged in Nurpur area due to heavy rain.

Sources here said that Dharamsala region has received highest rainfall since 1968 in the month of August. This month Dharamsala region has received 333 mm rainfall whereas the earlier record of 320 mm for the month of August.

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