Heavy rain forecast in Himachal Pradesh, advisory for tourists

Tourists recall ‘nightmare’ of being stranded for 22 hours in traffic jams on Mandi-Manali highway, accuse food joint owners en route of overcharging.

A day after traffic on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was restored, the threat of landslips at Pandoh and other vulnerable stretches persists as the meteorological department has issued an orange alert warning of heavy to very heavy rain in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh.

The Chandigarh-Manali highway was blocked after a landslide near Pandoh in Mandi district for 22 hours till traffic was restored on Monday night. (Birbal Sharma/HT)

The alert was sounded for Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Una and Sirmaur.

Hundreds of commuters, mostly tourists, were stranded for 22 hours till Monday evening on the highway after heavy rains triggered landslides at 5-Miles and 7-Miles near Pandoh, 40km from Mandi town. Many tourists, including women and children, were forced to spend the night in cars and buses as there were no hotels nearby.

Rajender Singh, a tourist from Ghaziabad, said he along with his family planned a five-day trip to Manali but two days were wasted en route at Mandi. “I learnt that this stretch of the highway is prone to landslides. Why can’t the authorities take preventive steps and alert in visitors in advance?” he said.

Another tourist, Govind Kumar, claimed that dhaba owners in Pandoh made a fast buck by hiking the cost of food items. “They charged ₹20 per chapatti and ₹170 for a plate of dal,” he said.

A Gujarati tourist, Vivek Patel, described being stranded on the highway as a “nightmarish experience”.

The highway was closed on Sunday evening and restored partially after 22 hours. Tourists were stranded as the alternative route via Kataula-Kamand was also closed. The traffic jams on both sides stretched to 15km.

Mandi superintendent of police Soumya Sambasivan said nearly 5,000 vehicles were stuck at different locations on the highway. “Kudos to all officials of Mandi Police who worked for 24x7 to ensure the restoration of traffic. We are thankful to tourists and local residents for their patience and for obeying traffic rules,” she said.

Govt advisory to tourists, locals

Meanwhile, the state government has issued an advisory to tourists and locals to avoid unnecessary travel and not to venture near rivers and landslide-prone areas. “When travelling in hilly areas, particularly in upper Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, and Chamba districts, people must gather comprehensive information about the weather and road conditions and follow the advisory provided by the local administration,” the Himachal Pradesh Police Traffic, Tourist and Railways (TTR) wing said.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) chairman RS Bali said tourists should keep their GPS location on on their phones, commute on guided routes and drive slowly, particularly when visibility is low due to mist.

The meteorological centre has forecast rain in the state till July 1. A yellow alert for heavy rain, lightning and thunderstorm has been sounded for five days.

15 lives lost in rain-related incidents

Since its onset in Himachal on June 24, the monsoon has wreaked havoc across the state, causing losses pegged at over ₹164 crore, while 15 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents, according to the data released by State Emergency Operation Cell of the State Disaster Management Authority. Three people are missing and 27 have been injured.

With more than 1033 drinking water supply and irrigation schemes hit, the jal shakti department has suffered losses of ₹89.95 crore and the public works department (PWD) ₹72.90 crore.

Seven incidents of major landslides, a cloudburst and four incidents of flash floods have been reported across the state in three days. Five houses have been damaged and 34 partially damaged.

More than 300 roads, mostly rural roads, are blocked due to landslips. Traffic on National Highway-5, which was blocked at Theog, was restored on Monday, nine days after the PWD constructed a bailey bridge on the stretch that was swept away by a landslide.