Landslides along Manali highway force evacuations; roads, bridges damaged

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, August 26

The police and firefighters today rescued a person stranded at the vegetable marketing yard at Aloo Ground near Manali with the help of a hydra machine, after a building was inundated following heavy rainfall. In Kullu town’s Ramshilla locality, two shops were swept away by the overflowing Beas, which has been in spate after incessant rain over the past few days. Several shops were washed away in Manali’s Bahang area while three vehicles were swept away in Chamunda Nagar.

The relentless downpour has triggered multiple landslides along the Kullu-Manali highway, prompting precautionary evacuations across vulnerable areas. Bhang village near Manali was vacated earlier, along with several shops and sections of local markets. The authorities also evacuated the old age home in Kalath and several homes in Akhara Bazaar.

Officials have confirmed that the Beas and its tributaries are flowing at dangerously high levels. In Patlikul, water from the swollen river overflowed the Bailey Bridge, damaging its approach road and raising fresh concerns about infrastructure stability. In Manali, the Old Manali bridge and several footbridges were washed away, while the approach road to Bhuntar bridge suffered significant damage. Traffic has been suspended on the Bailey bridge at Akhara Bazaar due to safety risks.

The Kullu-Manali highway remains blocked at several points.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh conducted inspections across several rain-affected areas, including Akhara Bazaar, Chharudu’s Left Bank, Ramshilla and the regions near the Gammon Bridge. She directed officials to vacate all vulnerable locations immediately and urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from rivers and streams, whose water levels remain dangerously high.