Traffic snarls on Manali-Leh highway hassle commuters

Residents of Palchan, Kulang, Buruwa, Kothi, Bahang, Vashisht and Solang Nala villages are suffering every day due to massive traffic jams on the Manali-Palchan stretch of the strategically important national highway that leads to Leh.

The ongoing restoration work being carried out by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on stretches severely damaged in the August 26 floods has added to the chaos. While the authorities have reopened the Manali-Leh NH partially, only one-way traffic is allowed on the Manali-Palchan stretch, hindering smooth vehicular movement and even making short journeys unpredictable. Locals say the chaos has exacerbated in recent weeks, affecting children’s commute to school.

As per Buruwa panchayat president Churamani Thakur, children struggle to reach schools on time during examinations due to the persistently congested road. With traffic snarls becoming a norm during peak hours, he has urged the BRO to redesign the repair schedule so that traffic movement is not obstructed — particularly when schools and offices begin and end their day.

Traffic snarls not only frustrate commuters, but also stretch for kilometres, often intertwining with holiday and weekend traffic, as Manali is a major tourist destination.

Another resident, Diksha, called for round-the-clock deployment of traffic police on the stretches where the restoration work is underway. She urged the authorities to enforce strict penalties on lane jumpers and traffic violators whose risky manoeuvres exacerbate gridlock, turning manageable slowdowns into hours-long bottlenecks. Commuters also demand real-time updates about the road condition.

Pointing out that the road was badly damaged during the 2023 floods, Monika, another resident of the area, asked why more resilient protective measures had not been implemented to safeguard the highway against recurrent flooding. With climate change causing extreme weather conditions, the BRO and other agencies must ensure that future repairs incorporate stronger embankments, erosion control and long-term engineering solutions, instead of short-lived fixes that fail again under heavy rains, she added.

Meanwhile, workers and officials continue to labour on the damaged stretches, attempting to balance repair momentum with traffic movement. Yet for the people of Palchan and surrounding villages, the daily struggle on the road remains a pressing reality, underscoring the need for smarter traffic management and infrastructure that withstands repeated natural disasters.