Relentless rains cripple life in Palampur region

Unprecedented rainfall over the past 48 hours has brought normal life to a complete halt in Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur areas of Kangra district. Heavy landslides and flash floods have blocked major highways and rural roads, isolating several villages from the rest of the state.

The Palampur-Kangra-Una highway remains blocked near Purana Kangra and the Kangra bypass due to massive landslides. The Palampur-Mandi-Manali highway is also closed, while the Palampur-Jaisinghpur road is shut near Lambagaon. In Kangra town, several houses in the Housing Board Colony have developed cracks due to ground movement.

In the upper reaches, the road connecting Bir to Barot stands closed following landslides near Rajgundha and Billing. No tourist movement was allowed on this route, and access to the Chhota Bhangal region has been suspended.

Numerous kachha houses have suffered damage across the affected areas. Several drinking water supply schemes have been severely hit, leaving many localities without water. Power outages are widespread as strong winds and landslides have uprooted trees and damaged power lines. Local rivers and streams are flowing dangerously above the warning level.

The district administration has activated 24x7 control rooms in SDM offices at Palampur, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur and Dheera. Officials from NHAI, PWD, fire services and the police have been put on high alert. While traffic has been restored on main highways, rural road clearance is ongoing but slow due to continuous rainfall.

Heavy machinery has been deployed by NHAI at multiple locations to clear debris. However, restoration efforts remain severely hampered by the relentless downpour, officials said.