Mandi bears the brunt, 245 roads blocked, power lines damaged

Transportation services came to a standstill across Mandi district today as continuous heavy rainfall triggered widespread landslides and road collapses, severely impacting rural connectivity and essential services.

According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, a total of 245 roads were blocked due to landslides of which 236 were rural roads and 9 were Major District Roads (MDRs). The disruption has left several remote areas cut off, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and emergency services.

The worst-hit areas are Seraj division with 65 road blockages, followed by Dharampur (62), Thalaut (55), Karsog (20), Padhar (18), Mandi (9), Sarkaghat (8), Jogindernagar (5), Gohar (2), and Sundernagar (1). The blockage of MDRs has particularly affected transportation in the district’s interior and rural regions.

The traffic on the Kiratpur-Manali National Highway, a critical lifeline between Mandi and Kullu, remained disrupted for several hours due to multiple landslides. Though the road was temporarily restored to traffic in the late afternoon, the alternative route via Kataula remained blocked at Kanauj, further compounding the travel woes.

The district’s electricity and water supply infrastructure has also suffered major setback. A total of 477 electricity transformers were disrupted, cutting off power to many parts of the district. The worst-affected area was Mandi division which reported 450 transformer failures, followed by Gohar (24), Thalaut (2) and Sarkaghat (1).

Drinking water supply was also badly affected, with 36 water schemes been rendered out of order. Thunag division faced the brunt with 16 damaged schemes, followed by Karsog (10), Mandi (5), Dharampur (4) and Baggi (1). Overflowing water streams have worsened the situation with the Beas and Suketi rivers and Baggi Nullah reported to be in spate, posing a potential threat of flash floods and further landslides.

Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Restoration efforts are underway, but persistent rains continue to hamper relief operations. Emergency teams are on high alert across the district.