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Himachal rain: 500 vehicles stranded after Kullu-Mandi highway blocked near Pandoh
Weather office has issued a yellow alert across the state today, while an orange alert has been sounded for Wednesday and Thursday
Nearly 500 vehicles were stranded after the Kullu-Mandi national highway was blocked near Pandoh Dam on Tuesday following heavy rain overnight.
Mandi superintendent of police Soumya Sambasivan said a temporary link road was built after the main highway was damaged in the recent landslides. Keeping in view the safety of the commuters, the police stopped vehicles between Pandoh and 9 Miles. Traffic was diverted through the Kamand-Bajaura road.
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She said restoration of traffic on the alternative route to the highway will depend on the weather condition.
Mandi deputy commissioner Arindam Chaudhary has ordered that the Mandi-Kullu highway remain shut for traffic for three hours daily to carry out repair. “The Mandi-Kullu highway is badly damaged between 6-Miles and 9-Miles due to the cloudburst and landslide in the area this monsoon. This highway stretch will remain closed from 11am to 2pm daily for repair,” he said.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre of the Disaster Management Authority, more than 280 roads, including three national highways, were blocked in the state.
A maximum of 162 roads were blocked in Mandi, 31 in Shimla and 25 in Kullu.
Cracks in houses in Solan’s Barotiwala
In Solan district’s Barotiwala area, 17 families were rendered homeless after cracks developed in their houses at Majri village. Cracks have also developed in houses at Katal Pakoti village. The villagers were shifted to safer places, while the administration is monitoring the situation.
The meteorological department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the state over the next three days.
A yellow alert has been sounded across the state on Tuesday, while an orange alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday, said Surender Paul, director, Shimla MeT centre.
Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides and flash floods, resulting in the blockade of roads and disruption of essential services. People are advised to stay away from landslide-prone areas and avoid unnecessary travel.
Mounting losses this monsoon
The state has suffered losses amounting to ₹8,099.46 crore this monsoon with the state public works department having incurred a loss of ₹2,712 crore alone.
The Jal Shakti department has pegged its loss at ₹1,860.52 crore and the state electricity board ₹1,707 crore. The death toll mounted to 346, while 2,216 houses were damaged and 9,819 houses partially damaged.
