Road leading to Bhakra Dam blocked due to landslides; train services halted for 15 days

The main road leading to Bhakra Dam and the left bank power house of Bhakra Dam has been blocked due to landslides.

A massive landslide near Nehla village blocked the BBMB railway track leading to Bhakra Dam. Sources said that it would take at least 15 days for the BBMB to clear the railway track.

Since the retaining wall of the road leading to Bhakra Dam has collapsed in many places, the BBMB authorities said that it might take them at least a month to restore the road.

The hills around the Bhakra Dam have witnessed landslides in many places this year.

A fortnight ago, water entered the left bank power house of Bhakra this year due to heavy rains, but the damage was contained due to vigilant employees present there. The villages of Himachal along Bhakra Dam have been cut off due to landslides on the road leading to Bhakra Dam.

The bus service from Nangal to the historic Naina Devi temple in Himachal, which used to go through the Bhakra Dam head, has been suspended due to the road being blocked by landslides, and it may take at least a month before it can resume, sources said.

The Chief Engineer of Bhakra Dam, CP Singh, when contacted, admitted that the road to Naina Devi temple through Bhakra Dam has been damaged due to the collapse of retaining walls.

"We have already initiated short-term tenders to repair the road, and the road is likely to be restored within a month," he said.

He said that BBMB train services from Nangal to Bhakra Dam would also remain suspended for about 15 days as landslides yesterday blocked the railway track. CP Singh said that the train service, which was meant for workers of working in Bhakra Dam, was also used by villagers living in the vicinity of the Dam.

"We have provided BBMB bus service for the villagers also so that they can reach Nangal for daily provisions," he said.

When asked, CP Singh said that though the roads leading to Bhakra Dam and the left bank power house have been blocked, it has not affected the working in the Dam. Workers are being transported to Bhakra Dam in smaller vehicles and from the right bank house road. Regarding the reasons for heavy landslides in areas around the Bhakra Dam, the chief engineer said that rainfall in the region this year has been unprecedented.

"The area around Bhakra Dam received 280 mm of rainfall on August 30 and 31, which caused maximum landslides," he said. Meanwhile, the residents of villages around Bhakra Dam have urged the BBMB to repair the roads leading to Bhakra Dam as early as possible, as it is their lifeline.