Himachal Weather News
Weather havoc in Himachal: Fatal accident in Nalagarh, landslides disrupt traffic in Kinnaur and Kullu-Mandi
Kullu-Manali road had to be closed twice in a week due to safety measures; Nigulsari landslide again halts traffic on NH-5.
Solan/Nalagarh, 22 August: The ongoing monsoon havoc in Himachal Pradesh led to a tragic incident, a bike rider died after being swept away by fast flowing water in Kattalnala on Doli-Ramsahr-Baddi road in Solan district. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was deployed on the spot for relief and rescue work. The deceased was identified as Shashi Pal, a resident of Manjyari village of Saur in Ramshahr tehsil, whose body was recovered near Dharmana Kund, two kilometers from the spot.
The weather is creating challenges across the state. Traffic on National Highway 5 (NH-5) is being repeatedly disrupted due to frequent landslides in Nigulsari in Kinnaur. On Wednesday, the NH remained closed for eight hours, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides, further highlighting the dangerous situation in the area.
Meanwhile, the Kullu-Mandi national highway (NH-21) will remain periodically closed for vehicular movement between Bindravani and Pandoh. From August 23 to September 28, the highway will remain closed for two hours every Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This closure is necessary to remove dangerously hanging boulders from the mountain, posing a major threat to commuters.
Despite previous efforts by the administration, the company responsible for the construction work on this section of the highway has not yet completed the necessary safety measures. Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan stressed that in view of the frequent landslides and increased risk on the route from Bindravani to Pandoh, the decision to stop traffic during these periods is important to ensure public safety.
The southwest monsoon has weakened in Himachal Pradesh, bringing temporary relief. The weather is expected to remain clear from August 22 to 24. However, western disturbances are likely to become active from August 25, due to which a yellow alert for heavy rains has been issued in many areas of the state till August 27.
