Mandi Chokes: Landslides Shut Down Major Highways, Cutting Off Chandigarh-Manali-Leh Route
Mandi, July 29:
Heavy overnight rains have triggered massive landslides across Mandi district, bringing vehicular traffic to a standstill on two of the region’s most crucial lifelines — the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-3) and the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway (NH-154).
The Chandigarh-Manali-Leh highway, a key route for tourists and Ladakh-bound defense supplies, was blocked at multiple points due to fresh landslides.
Major slide zones were reported at 4 Mile, 9 Mile, Dawada, Jhalogi, and several other stretches between Mandi and Kullu, making the highway completely unmotorable since last night.
Simultaneously, the Pathankot-Mandi highway suffered serious damage with landslides reported between Padhar and Mandi, choking traffic in both directions.
Hundreds of vehicles, including buses and trucks, are stranded on the routes, with authorities struggling to clear debris amid continuing rain.
An official from the Public Works Department confirmed that heavy machinery has been deployed to restore the roads, but warned that the restoration could take time given the scale of the landslides and ongoing rainfall.
"We appeal to the public to avoid unnecessary travel in these areas. Continuous rainfall and unstable slopes are posing a major risk," said a district administration spokesperson.
With both highways shut, access to Manali, Keylong, Lahaul, and Leh has effectively been cut off from the rest of the country via Mandi.
Tourist movement has come to a grinding halt, and supply chains to interior tribal areas stand disrupted.
The district disaster management authority is on high alert, and NHAI and BRO teams are working on a war footing to reopen the highways.
However, with more rain predicted over the next 48 hours, the situation remains precarious.
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