Lagatar24 Desk
Shimla/Manali: A segment of the National Highway-3 (NH-3), commonly known as the Leh-Manali Road, was closed to vehicular traffic following a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district, police reported on Thursday. The incident occurred late Wednesday, and fortunately, no casualties have been reported.
Officials confirmed that the stretch between Dhundi and Palchan Bridge on NH-3 was impacted due to the cloudburst at Anjani Mahadev nullah in the Manali area. Consequently, vehicles traveling to Manali from Lahaul and Spiti via the north portal of the Atal Tunnel have been redirected towards Rohtang, according to an advisory issued by the Lahaul and Spiti police on Thursday. Commuters have been advised to travel only if necessary, drive cautiously, and remain alert to potential dangers en route.
In addition to the road closure on NH-3, the state emergency operation center reported that a total of 15 roads, including 12 in Mandi, two in Kinnaur, and one in Kangra district, were closed for vehicular traffic. Furthermore, 62 transformers were disrupted across the state on Wednesday night. There have also been reports of damage to a power project and a few houses, although these have yet to be confirmed by officials who are currently assessing the damage.
The local meteorological office issued a ‘yellow’ alert on Wednesday, warning of heavy rain at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh for the next four days until July 28. The alert cautioned about potential damage to plantations, standing crops, vulnerable structures, and ‘kutcha’ houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 27, the state has experienced significant rain-related incidents, resulting in the deaths of 49 people and losses amounting to approximately Rs 389 crore, according to the emergency operation center.
