Eroded by time, broken by pressure!

A vital stretch of Khara Danda Road, once known as Norowjee or Camel Road, has dramatically caved in near ‘Karmu More’, throwing one of Dharamsala’s busiest lifelines into crisis. The road is more than a route. It is the main link binding Dharamsala to McLeodganj, supporting thousands of daily commuters, tourists and local businesses.

For weeks, the warning signs had been visible: widening cracks, sinking patches and uneven surfaces. Now, a sudden collapse has confirmed experts’ fears that the problem runs far deeper than a patchwork fix. Geologists LN Aggarwal and Sanjay Kumbhkarni attribute the disaster to relentless digging for sewage and cables, combined with the punishing load of heavy vehicles. “The slope is precarious, the drainage disrupted and every monsoon accelerates the damage,” they caution.

Environmentalists argue the terrain cannot sustain business as usual. They are urging authorities to bar regular traffic on the stretch, replacing it with light, battery-operated vehicles to reduce strain on the fragile hillside. Their warnings carry weight: just last month, another section near Jogiwara collapsed and with a massive landslide now reported at Forsythganj, durable access to Mcleodganj is almost gone.

Unless immediate, science-backed interventions are made, Khara Danda road risks more than damage. It risks erasure from the map of Himachal’s hill roads.