Himachal Flash Floods: Manali Highway Reopens But Key Roads Shut | Read Advisory for Tourists

The troubles of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh did not end on Tuesday though the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was restored to traffic after being closed for nearly 24 hours. Several other major roads have been reported to be closed due to landslides, including the Bangi-Kelar Highway (SH-26) in Dared Nala.

Hundreds of commuters, including tourists, are stranded in Mandi district as the Chandigarh-Manali expressway has been closed since Sunday evening. The 70km stretch of Mandi-Bandoh-Kulu highway at Khotynullah near Ot, about 40km from Mandi town, was closed following flash floods while the Mandi-Bandoh stretch of nearly 6 miles was closed after a landslide.

The situation is likely to remain the same as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the next 24 hours.

Light to moderate rain continued to lash several parts of Himachal Pradesh, and the MIT bureau issued a warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning in isolated locations on June 28 and 29 and thunderstorms and lightning on June 30 and July 1.

A total of 301 roads in the state were closed due to heavy rains, while 140 power transformers were out of order. Flash floods were witnessed in Khatinullah near Ot, about 40 km from Mandi town, Pandoh-Kulu stretch due to heavy rains.

Nine people have died in rain-related accidents, including landslides and drowning, in the state so far, according to data shared by the state’s Emergency Operations Center. accidents.

Jal Shakti Vibhaj suffered a maximum damage of Rs 73.68 crore followed by the Public Works Department (PWD) which suffered a loss of Rs 27.79 crore, according to the data.

Tips for tourists

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has issued an advisory to tourists. In a statement, its chairman RS Bali advised tourists to always maintain their mobile phone’s GPS location, navigate guided routes only, know weather updates and drive slowly.

He said that tourists should avoid reckless driving and enjoy their trip while preserving the sanctity of mountainous areas.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (Traffic, Tourism, and Rail), in an advisory report, asked people to refrain from any water sports. “We advise travelers and the general public to avoid visiting river banks and areas prone to landslides,” she added.

A local report quoted the advisory as saying that public transport was asked to drive carefully and avoid unnecessary stops in landslide-prone areas and road construction sites. In the event of any distress, the subjects were asked to call the emergency number 112/1077 and to contact the local police by searching on the Internet.