Main stretches in Kangra, Chamba cleared for traffic

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, September 3

All main roads, including major national highways and state highways, have been cleared for traffic in Kangra and Chamba district. The roads in Chamba district suffered damage worth Rs 90 crores during the monsoon till date and roads in Kangra district suffered damage of about Rs 200 crore.

In Chamba district, landslides disrupted traffic on the Chamba-Bharmour and Chamba-Tissa roads. According to the PWD officials, the traffic was restored in about one to two days as the landslides were cleared using JCB machines.

As per the report, in entire district, traffic was disrupted due to rains on just one rural road in Palampur area of Kangra district and two rural roads in Tissa area of Chamba district. Kangra and Chamba district suffered comparatively lesser damage to roads as compared to other districts such as Kullu or Mandi. The damage to roads in Kangra was less as the hills were cut on small patches.

The work for fourlaning of the Pathankot-Mandi national highway was going in the Pathankot-Nurpur belt which is comparatively less hilly area. The four laning work was also going on the road from Matour to Shimla. Here also the hills have been cut only in limited stretches.

Maximum damage was caused in Fatehpur and Indora areas of Kangra district that lay down stream of the Pong Dam reservoir. The areas were inundated after flood water was released from Pong Dam. As many as 2,052 people were rescued by the district administration from the Beas riverbed with the help of Indian Air Force.