Rain, landslides block Manali, Leh highways

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, August 11

Heavy rain lashed Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti today, triggering landslides at various places blocking Chandigarh-Manali, Manali-Leh, Gramphu-Kaza highways and several link roads in rural areas.

It had been raining heavily since morning, triggering a massive landslide at 7 Mile on the Chandigarh-Manali highway, a few km ahead of Mandi towards Kullu. Traffic came to a halt on the highway and a large number of vehicles were stuck. One jeep was damaged, but no loss of life was reported.

A landslide took place at Jangambag under Chambi panchayat in Sundernagar, damaging a house. Nine members of a family ran out safely from the house but a woman Kulvanti Devi, aged 68, was trapped in the debris. The administration led a rescue operation and evacuated the victim after 4 hours.

The alternative route between Mandi and Kullu via Kataula was also blocked for hours due to landslides. It has been restored to traffic and the movement of light vehicles between Mandi and Kullu has been diverted on this route.

Due to heavy rain, agricultural land and link roads in the Balh valley submerged in the waters of the Suketi river, causing a considerable damage to crops and affected traffic. At Bhadyal village in the Balh valley, a car, carrying two persons, was trapped in the flooded water on the road. With the help of locals, the car and its occupants were pulled out safely.

In Mandi district, 81 roads were blocked of which 53 have been restored to traffic. Similarly, 529 transformers were damaged, of which 374 have been restored.

In Lahaul and Spiti, the Manali-Leh highway was blocked due to drastic increase in the water level in Pagal Nullah and Tozing Nullah. The Gramphu-Kaza highway was also blocked due to flash flood in a rivulet near Chhota Dara and Tandi-Udaipur-Killar road was blocked due to landslides at various places.

Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, Arindam Chaudhari and Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul and Spiti, Sumit Khimta told The Tribune that no human loss was reported in both districts.

Part of Manali NH under water

Due to a drastic increase in the Beas water level, the Chandigarh-Manali highway at Dwada was inundated. Till the filing of the report, this highway was blocked to traffic

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