Lahaul’s Sorrow, Fix Three Trouble Points for Hassle-free Mobility on the Highway.
SISSU/KEYLONG: Three notorious sliding points between the Atal Rohtang Tunnel and Keylong have now earned the tag of “Lahaul’s Sorrow.”
Despite its reputation for engineering marvels, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has failed to secure these stretches—each about 50 to 100 metres long—on the strategic Manali–Leh Highway.
Every time the Teling, Pagal and Shurtang (popularly called “Selfie Point”) nallahs flood, the highway caves in, stranding locals, farmers and tourists for days.
“BRO spends huge amounts on repairs, but the very next day, the road is back to square one,” said Himal Chand Thakur, a senior hotelier from Shashin.
Locals say the solution is not temporary patchwork but permanent engineering.
They propose two options: either realign the highway from the North Portal towards Sissu Nursery and build a bridge across the Chandra river, or raise elevated steel bridges at the slide zones so that debris flows down freely without damaging the road.
Flood-protection walls, too, are being built on loose soil instead of hard strata, leaving villages exposed.
“Last year, when BRO’s Chief Engineer toured the area, villagers warned him. But no permanent plan has come,” residents pointed out.
The risks are rising. Cracks have already appeared in Kevag village above Shurtang Nallah.
Locals fear the settlement—linked to Raja Ghepan’s mother Jagdul in legend—may face greater danger if the problem is ignored.
“Lahaul’s nallahs swell even in bright sunshine. Without a permanent fix, these troubles will return year after year,” said a villager.
The highway that connects India to Ladakh is too critical to be left to patchwork.
BRO must either stretch its engineering skills or risk Lahaul’s fragile villages and economy being washed away with every flash flood.
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