Kinnaur National Highway 5 Remains Blocked for Second Day
2 min read
Farmers and Travelers in Distress
The vital National Highway-5 in Nathpa, Kinnaur, continues to face disruptions due to landslides and rockfalls. Despite efforts to clear the road, thousands of people, including tourists and farmers in the Kinnaur district, are experiencing growing difficulties. While around 30 meters of the road from Shimla and nearly 20 meters from Kinnaur have been cleared by NH authorities, a section of approximately 150 meters of the highway is still buried under debris.
It’s concerning that on Saturday night, around 2 AM, landslides and rockfalls from the mountains persist in Nathpa. The continuous landslides have led to a significant portion of the NH being blocked by rocks and debris. This situation is causing considerable inconvenience to thousands of people, including tourists coming from various parts of the country and abroad. The NH authorities have deployed machinery and around 20 laborers to work on the restoration of the road. However, the ongoing landslides are posing a risk to the workers’ safety.
As a result, travelers have been transferred to Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses on Sunday. Smaller vehicles are taking the route via Plungi Vaya, while NH restoration is expected to take three to four days. Despite efforts to clear the road, the laborers are facing dangers due to the continuous landslides.
The situation has also severely affected the ongoing apple season in the district. The storage of lakhs of apple crates is still stuck in the region. Although an alternative route through Plungi Vaya to transport apple crops to the market is possible, it’s also impeded due to the blocked roads. To address this issue, the district administration is planning to transport the apple harvest via pickup trucks and small cargo vehicles, facilitated through the Plungi and Nichar Vayas. The plan includes setting a designated time to transport the apple crops to the market with the help of pickups and small cargo carriers, which will soon be arranged.”
