KULLU/SHIMLA: Hundreds of vehicles were stuck again as Chandigarh-Manali highway was blocked again due to a massive landslide near Aut in Mandi district on Tuesday evening.The landslide occurred around 10.15pm, at the entrance of tunnel No.
11 at Jhanogi, around 4km from Aut.
The highway couldn't be reopened on Wednesday as falling rocks and boulders made it difficult to begin the road-clearance work.Only light vehicles were allowed to move through the Bajaura-Kamand-Mandi link road, which also witnessed huge traffic jam during the day.A Mandi district official said the possibility of reopening the highway on Wednesday was minimal.
"The work on clearing the highway is on, but landslides at regular intervals are hampering the work.
Tunnel No.
11 has also been damaged in the landslide.
We don't know for sure when the highway will be reopened," said the official.He added that efforts were also being made to allow traffic through another tunnel, which had got flooded recently due to a flash flood.Mandi to Kullu section of the Chandigarh-Manali highway has remained mostly blocked since the start of monsoon due to frequent landslides, flash floods and land cave-ins in areas near Pandoh.
The highway and two link roads that connect Mandi and Kullu district were blocked for three days due to landslides before being reopened on August 26.Meanwhile, 187 roads are still blocked in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 87 roads are closed in Mandi district, 27 in Shimla, 25 in Solan, 16 in Kullu and 14 in Kangra district of the state.In Mandi district, 19 roads were blocked in Dharampur sub-division, 16 in Thalout and 12 in Seraj.
A total 86 distribution transformer regions (DTRs) were also disrupted and 27 water supply schemes were to be repaired on Wednesday.Meanwhile, in a meeting with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and other officers on Tuesday, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said Ghatasani-Shilh-Badhani-Bhubhu Jot tunnel should be constructed to connect Kangra with Kullu.
The tunnel would not only help in promoting tourism but also be strategically important as it would shorten the distance between Kangra and Manali by 55km, he said.He stressed upon building three major tunnels in the state.
Chowari-Chamba tunnel in Chamba district and a tunnel from Bhawa valley in Kinnaur to Pin valley in Spiti would provide all-weather connectivity to the areas besides boosting tourism activities in the region, he said.The CM asked the NHAI officials to expedite restoration works of national highways damaged due to torrential rains and landslides in the state.
He said the Mandi-Manali four-lane had suffered immense damages, especially near Pandoh.
He also asked them to deploy extra manpower and officials at vulnerable points to ensure acceleration of restoration work.
He said temporary refurbishment work should be completed by October 15, before Kullu Dussehra.
To address the issue permanently, a tunnel under Kainchi Maur in Mandi district can be planned in the times to come, he added.Sukhu said as the apple season was at its peak, the onus was on the government to ensure transportation of produce to markets well in time.
He said after the apple season, potato crop will also be ready in Lahaul, therefore immediate action was required for timely restoration of the national highways so that farmers did not suffer for want of proper roads.He also asked the officials to speed up the construction work of Shimla-Mataur four lane project as it would benefit eight districts of HP.
He said specific road median as per norms or max five meters, should be ensured to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the road.The CM also took up the issue of damaged Parwanoo-Solan four lane and said vertical cutting of slopes should be avoided to ensure better stabilization of the slopes.
He said that NHAI should ensure proper disposal of water by constructing drainage and cross drainage on the highways.
"The NHAI should expedite restoration work of two bridges damaged in Baddi area of Solan district due to floods as these are important for the industrial area of Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh".He demanded making the Nalagarh-Bharatgarh road as four lane, which would connect two national highways, adding that the entire Pathankot-Mandi National Highway stretch should be made four lane in one go to avoid inconvenience to the commuters.