Jogindernagar to Mandi road shut for 6th day

Palampur, August 25

Traffic on the Jogindernagar-Mandi stretch of the Pathankot-Mandi highway remained suspended for the sixth day today. The road has been blocked because of landslides at Kotrupti, which is 20 km away from Jogindernagar. The traffic has been diverted on the local roads.

The NHAI has sprang into action to restore the vital link. Project Director Anil Sen said heavy machinery and earth movers were being used to remove the debris. “Engineers are making efforts to clear the muck at the earliest. But adverse weather conditions are obstructing the restoration operation,” he said.

The road was blocked after loose soil, along with boulders and trees, had come down, blocking over 300 metre of the NH.

The director said since this stretch of the highway was prone to frequent landslides, they were facing difficulties in clearing it. But the NHAI wanted to open the highway by Monday if the weather condition remained favourable. In 2017, 46 persons had lost their lives when two buses of HRTC were buried under debris after a landslide at this spot.

The NH was closed for traffic on August 19 when heavy rain lashed the state, killing 34 persons.