NH blocked for six hours in Chamba

The Chamba-Pathankot highway (NH 154A) was again blocked for six hours on Tuesday after a deodar tree fell on the road near Banikhet as heavy rains lashed the area in wee hours.

The tree came down as a landslide hit the area near the Army Colony. Several vehicles remained stranded for hours. The uprooted tree also damaged the main electricity lines of Banikhet town, plunging the area into darkness. Smaller vehicles were diverted through the NHPC Chowk–Paddar Chougan route, but the narrow stretch caused traffic congestion in the Banikhet market.

On receiving information, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) deployed workers and machinery to restore the road. It took nearly four hours of continuous effort to remove the huge deodar tree. The traffic was restored by 10 am, much to the relief of passengers and transporters, including suppliers of essential goods such as milk, bread, eggs and vegetables.

Praveen Kumar, Junior Engineer of the Electricity Board, said the uprooted tree damaged the main power lines, disrupting supply to several areas. The highway was blocked for about 12 hours on Monday after a massive landslide hit the Nainikhad area.