Landslide disrupts traffic for over 25 hours in Rajgarh

Continuous rainfall in Sirmaur district’s Rajgarh subdivision triggered yet another major landslide near Jaghed on the Sanora-Neripul-Chaila main road, bringing traffic to a complete standstill. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Saturday when a large mass of debris and boulders tumbled down the hillside, blocking the vital route.

By 5 pm on Sunday — more than 25 hours later — the Public Works Department (PWD) had yet to restore the road, leaving commuters stranded and causing severe inconvenience to locals. Farmers and orchardists have been among the hardest hit as vehicles carrying cash crops such as tomatoes, capsicum, cauliflower and French beans are being diverted 60-70 km off-route. The delay in reaching vegetable markets has led to a noticeable drop in prices, compounding the economic setback for growers.

The disruption comes at the peak of apple season, forcing trucks from upper Shimla to be diverted at Chaila. While small vehicles have been rerouted through the Habban-Rajgarh-Sanoora road, heavy vehicles have remained stuck in traffic for over a day. Frustration among locals has been mounting, with PWD officials facing public anger at the prolonged closure.

PWD Rajgarh Executive Engineer Pawan Garg said machinery was deployed from both ends immediately after receiving the alert on Saturday. However, clearance work was halted overnight due to fresh rockfall. “The hillside is still unstable and continuous landslides are hampering restoration efforts. We are making every effort to reopen the road by late Sunday evening,” he said.

Persistent rain and fragile slopes in the region have made such blockages a recurring challenge, raising concerns over the long-term safety of this crucial link road.