Kiratpur-Manali highway damaged due to landslide after heavy rain

Himachal Pradesh: A major portion of the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway near Diod in Mandi district was damaged today due to continuous landslides triggered by torrential rains over the past several days. The damaged highway affected vehicular movement in the area. According to local sources, cracks started developing in this section of the highway a few days ago and these cracks widened further due to continuous heavy rains, causing a major portion of the road to cave in. The situation forced the concerned authorities to restrict traffic to one lane of the affected road. Policemen were deployed for traffic management. This is not the first time that this section of the highway has been damaged and faced structural challenges.

A similar incident was reported in 2023 as well, following which the National Highways Authority of India had to undertake repair work, including the construction of a retaining wall. However, this year, continuous landslides and boulders falling from the hills again threatened the stability of the area. Varun Chary, project director of the highway project, said, “The landslide occurred after boulders fell from the hills, especially in the area where a retaining wall is to be constructed in 2023. The layers of this area are naturally loose, which is the main reason for the perennial instability.” Chary said the situation is being closely monitored and temporary maintenance work is underway to keep traffic uninterrupted. He further said a consultant geologist and a hydrogeologist have been appointed to assess the terrain.