Massive landslide blocks main McLeodganj road

A massive landslide struck Forsythganj in Dharamsala block of Kangra district this evening, completely blocking the main McLeodganj road and cutting off the region from other areas. An entire hill came down hurtling onto the road, obstructing vehicular movement near the historic Church of St. John in the Wilderness. As a shortcut had collapsed recently, the only connectivity left is the narrow ‘Thandi Sadak’ leading towards Naddi, which could accommodate only light vehicles.

The situation has become serious due to the presence of the Dalai Lama at McLeodganj and the immediate needs of thousands of residents of nearby villages and places like Dharamkot and Bhagsunag. Local emergency services are on high alert. Vivek Kumar, Assistant Engineer for the National Highway-503, said that a JCB machine had been dispatched to the landslide site. He told The Tribune that he was not aware of the full-scale damage but was hopeful that the debris would be cleared soon to restore at least partial traffic movement.

This development comes a day after the Khara Danda shortcut road, which had developed cracks and witnessed subsidence, collapsed, rendering it unusable. With both main and alternative routes now blocked, McLeodganj is virtually cut off from the rest of the region.

Sanjiv Gandhi, an office-bearer of the Hoteliers Association, said that it was high time that the district administration realise the gravity of the situation. The biggest task at hand for it was to work on drainage, but ironically nobody seemed to be bothered, he added.