MANDI, July 12— A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall blocked the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-21) at Kainchi Mod near Pandoh Dam late Friday night, halting vehicular movement for nearly 10 hours until Saturday noon. Authorities managed to restore partial traffic flow by noon, but one lane remained open, and Volvo buses were still barred from plying at the time of reporting.
Mandi Superintendent of Police Sakshi Verma said debris and stones had started rolling down the hillside, prompting authorities to suspend traffic as a safety measure. “The district administration has deployed personnel and JCB machines to clear the blockage. Debris removal is still underway, and vehicles are currently being allowed to move one-way,” she said.
The incident is the latest in a series of rain-related disasters affecting the district. Mandi has witnessed repeated cloudbursts and landslides since June 20, resulting in 15 fatalities and leaving 27 others missing, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Currently, 249 roads across Himachal Pradesh are reported to be damaged or blocked due to heavy rains. This includes two major national highways: NH-3, connecting Mandi to Dharampur via Kotli, which remains closed to heavy vehicles, and NH-21, which is partially functional following Friday night’s landslide.
Authorities have urged commuters to exercise caution while traveling on the Chandigarh-Manali highway and other routes across the state during the ongoing monsoon season.
