Highway heroes: Samiti provides hot meals to stranded drivers

For the past three days, the Him Samaj Seva Samiti of Nerchowk has been actively serving free meals to stranded travellers, mostly truck drivers, on the Kiratpur-Manali highway in Mandi district. The highway remained blocked for four days due to extensive damage, leaving scores of vehicles stuck between Mandi and Kullu and severely disrupting transportation.

Amid this crisis, several dhaba owners allegedly charged exorbitant prices for food, worsening the plight of those stranded. Rising to the occasion, the Samiti stepped in to provide relief, serving hot meals to hundreds of travellers and ensuring that no one went hungry during the ordeal.

Kuldeep Singh, an office bearer of the Samiti, told The Tribune that the organisation viewed the situation as an opportunity to serve people in distress. “The Samiti got a chance to help stranded people in these trying circumstances. Usually, we provide community meals (langar) daily at the medical college in Nerchowk for patients and their attendants. But this time, we extended our support to those stuck on the highway as well,” he said.

The gesture was warmly appreciated by the stranded travellers, many of whom had gone without proper meals for days. With the road between Mandi and Kullu cleared yesterday, most vehicles were finally able to move towards their destinations.

As normalcy returns, the timely intervention of Him Samaj Seva Samiti stands out as a reminder of the strength of community support and compassion in times of crisis.