Major landslide on Chandigarh-Manali NH
Mandi.
Mandi district is again facing the brunt of natural disaster. After opening for a few hours, the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was closed again on Thursday night and this time the possibility of restoration seems very less.
A massive landslide occurred near Banala late at night, due to which rumours of vehicles getting buried spread, but at present no such incident has been officially confirmed. In such a situation, there has been an uproar on the social media post of Mandi MP Kangana.
Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut claimed that many vehicles could get buried under the debris in the accident and relief and rescue work is going on on a war footing. However, SP Mandi Sakshi Verma rejected these claims and said that no missing or buried people have been reported so far. The administration’s machinery is continuously engaged in removing the debris and it will take time for the situation to become clear.
At the same time, the scissor is built at the turn near the Pandoh Dam, where the highway has completely collapsed. Even pedestrian movement was not possible here. Amidst the torrential rains on Wednesday night, the local people heard sounds like explosions and the highway was swept away like a pack of cards.
Meanwhile, three vehicles were hit by a landslide. Although no one suffered major losses, people left their vehicles and ran away and saved their lives. Due to the closure of the highway, hundreds of vehicles are stuck on both sides.
SP Mandi Sakshi Verma said that the administration has opened the road from Mandi to Bajaura via Kamand as an alternative route, but this route is one-way only for light vehicles. That is, only vehicles going from Mandi to Kullu can use it.
The special thing is that in 2023 also the highway collapsed and got absorbed in the Pandoh Dam near this place and then it took a full eight months to restore it. This time the damage is said to be even bigger than that. If an alternative route is not prepared soon, then connectivity between Kullu and Manali will be possible only through the Katula route.
