Chandigarh-Manali NH Faces Continuous Danger Due to Unresolved Landslide Debris

Mandi, August 8: Despite one month having passed, the landslide debris near Mandi, around 6 miles ahead of Mandi on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway, has not been cleared yet. This situation is posing a constant threat to drivers who have to navigate through the danger zone.

Yesterday evening, rocks fell onto three vehicles at this location. The NHAI and the construction company involved in the foreign project have partially opened the highway only for one-way traffic. Landslides continue to occur here once or twice a day, causing inconvenience to drivers. On Tuesday, the police administration and NHAI officials decided to keep the National Highway closed for a few hours over the next two or three days to remove this debris.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Sagar Chandra, mentioned that the area where the landslide debris has piled up for the past month has become extremely hazardous for drivers. To remove this debris, the highway will be completely closed for about 4 hours on Wednesday. He also stated that if necessary, the closure could extend beyond 4 hours. He appealed to drivers for their cooperation.

Due to the closure of the highway, alternative routes via Gohar Chailchowk and Katola Bajaura have been advised for drivers. Rajasekhar, the project manager of the construction company KMSC, involved in the foreign project, mentioned that the National Highway will be closed from 11 AM to 3 PM for the next two to three days. During this time, the hanging rocks from the debris will be removed from the air to prevent recurring danger.

It’s worth noting that heavy rainfall on July 8 caused a complete collapse of a portion of the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway near the 6-mile mark from Mandi. As a result, the highway remained closed for a whole week. Several rocks are still suspended in the air due to this incident, posing a threat to drivers passing through. Machine operators are risking their lives to remove these hanging rocks from the National Highway. Just yesterday evening, a pickup truck, an HRTC bus, and a tipper were hit by falling rocks.