Amid continuous rainfall, the Chandigarh-Manali highway was closed due to a fresh landslide in Banala.
However, no loss of life was reported and officials said restoration work is underway.
The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway-3 was again closed for traffic after a fresh landslide between Pandoh and Manali. A portion of the national highway near Kanchi Mod near the Pandoh Dam completely collapsed owing to overnight rains.
The route from Mandi to Kullu via Katola is restored for traffic. Small vehicles are being sent at an interval of one hour. This is the only route left for Kullu-Manali now.
The Ravi river that is in spate following heavy rain in Kangra district cut off the remote village of Bada Bhangal and washed away government buildings besides damaging infrastructure on Thursday.
Kangra DC Hemraj Bairwa said the flooded river had damaged public property in the remote village, which is accessible only by foot.
A landslide damaged the boundary wall at Kangra airport, leading the administration to make temporary arrangements to deal with security threats.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued more than 400 students of Arni University in Kangra district on Wednesday night, while waterlogging was reported in Indora and Fatehpur sub-divisions after the water was released from the Pong Dam.
More than seven NDRF teams have been deputed on both sides of the dam as a precautionary measure.
{{/usCountry}}More than seven NDRF teams have been deputed on both sides of the dam as a precautionary measure.
{{/usCountry}}In a statement issued on Thursday, a government spokesperson said that on the directions of the CM, five patients were evacuated from Stingri in Lahaul-Spiti today to district hospital, Kullu.
In the past 72 hours, torrential rains have wreaked havoc on the Kiratpur-Manali-Leh highway, washing away significant portions of the road.
Heavy rainfall in Kullu district led to a portion of the highway being washed away.
Kullu DC Torul S Raveesh said parts of the district were being evacuated as water levels rose sharply. “The national highway has been damaged at many points. The situation worsened after two days of incessant rain. NH 3 is damaged at Bindu Dhank,” she said.
In Chamba, four days of heavy rainfall have endangered the Holi Bazaar area. Due to the strong flow of the Ravi, the ground beneath the market and nearby houses is eroding, putting many at risk.
Mandi DC Apurv Devgan on Thursday issued an advisory urging people to refrain from spreading misinformation on social media.
He said that a massive landslide occurred near Banala at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday night, the debris of which reached the river. “The work of removing the debris has been started on the spot early in the morning,” he said.
The advisory comes after BJP MP from Mandi Kangana Ranaut on Thursday took to social media saying that heavy damage was caused by rain in Himachal. The tweet in Hindi shared through the handle of the actor-turned-politician, expressed grief saying that many people and vehicles are feared to be buried under the debris due to the mountain collapse.
Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri criticised Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut for tweeting incorrect information during the crisis, saying, “People in such responsible positions should avoid spreading misinformation.”
Mobile connectivity disrupted
Most parts of Kullu, Chamba, and Lahaul-Spiti districts don’t have mobile connectivity for the past three days. Roads, water, and electricity supply are also disrupted.
The Met department has predicted light to moderate rain at few places and one or two intense spells likely at isolated places in Chamba. Kangra, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur, Solan, Bilaspur, Una and Hamirpur district.
All Manimahesh pilgrims safe: Chief secy
Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena in a statement on Thursday said that all the pilgrims are safe in Chamba district and the situation is under control as the district administration has been keeping a close watch on the situation 24X7.
“Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police are stationed in Bharmour are taking all necessary measures to restore normalcy in the area with the support of the local administration. Internet connectivity has been restored in Chamba town and is expected to be restored in the tribal belt of Bharmour soon,” said the statement of Chief secretary after reviewing the meeting to assess the ongoing monsoon peril in the State, particularly in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, which have been badly affected by heavy rains, cloudbursts and landslides during the past few days appealed to the people not to believe in any type of rumors and only believe the official information.
Chief Secretary said that at present the main focus was to evacuate nearly 3,000 Yatris, who were on the way to Manimahesh pilgrimage and have been stranded at Bharmour. All possible measures were being taken to ensure their safety besides providing boarding and lodging. The Chief Secretary said that as per reports, around 10,000 people were stranded in Chamba town because of massive landslides between Bagga and Durgathi areas on the Chamba–Bharmour road. If need arises, rations and other necessary items will be airlifted to Bharmour.
Saxena directed the local administration to persuade and appeal to the pilgrims who were gathered in Chamba town to return to their home, as restoration of roads will take some time and was not possible at present due to heavy landslides. He informed that the Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Pathania, will visit Chamba tomorrow morning, while the Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh were already on their way to Chamba. He also directed the DGP, HP Police, Secretaries of HPPWD and HPSEBL, and Deputy Director General of department of telecommunications (DoT) to station sufficient officers and staff in Chamba and Bharmour to restore normalcy at the earliest. Apart from this Divisional Commissioner, Kangra and two senior police officers have been asked to rush to Chamba.
The Chief Secretary stated that network connectivity in Lahaul Spiti has been restored partially as Jio network has been put in order. Besides, the Electric sub-Station at Thirot has been made functional.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed the situation in Kullu and Lahaul Spiti and directed the concerned district administration to take every possible measure to restore normalcy.