MANALI July 25, 2024 – A cloudburst at Anjani Mahadev nalla uphill of Solang valley about 15 kms from Manali has triggered flash floods in wee hours at around 2.00 AM.
This has sent the Beas river surging downhill, bring traffic to halt on Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Keylong-Leh highway to halt since wee hours.
It has caused widespread destruction along the course of the nalla pumping massive boulders on the Palchan-Solang stretch of the highway and Palhchan bridge and damaged the portion of the road to Solan and south portal of the Atal Tunnel.
You find the flooding nala flowing across the 100 m long stretch has once again exposed the vulnerability of the road to the flash flood in Manali.
The flash flood washed away the approach to the Palchan bridge and a house in the uphill of Manali short of Palchan, as evidenced by videos circulating on social media and information gathered from BRO and locals.
The Beas River's water level has surged and pumped water in the Aalo ground, the traffic movement to Atal tunnel on the Manali -Keylong National Highway (NH) remained suspended since last night after the flash flood.
The Beas has damaged the road at Bahang, 5 km from Manali and near Aut downstream in Mandi, but the highway is open for traffic. However, there was no traffic on the highway uphill from Manali due to the devastating flood.
It has brough the miseries of the 2023 floods in Kullu-Manali alive, but the scale of destruction is very less.
The traffic is through to Keylong via Rohtang Pass-Koksar old highway, but visitors have been advised not travel till the situation normalise.
BRO and and PWD are assessing the damage and to deploy machines to clear the debris restoring the main highway that may take couple of days.
The avalanche harvesting structure of the BRO on the Solang-South portal of the highway was also flooded with debris from the Solan nalla on the other site of the Aanjali Mahadev side.
Surprisingly there was no rains in Manali town. All nature action concentrated around Anjani Maadevi and Upper Solang area.
- Weather Conditions: According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the last 24 hours have seen significant rainfall in the region.
Notable stations include 68.0 mm in Palampur, 44.0 mm in Dhaulakuan, and 42.6 mm in Naina Devi. Gusty winds were also recorded, with speeds reaching up to 64.28 km/h in Reckong Peo.
- Rainfall Forecast: The IMD has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places over the next five days in including Kullu, Solan, and Mandi.
This forecast indicates a continuation of severe weather, with isolated places likely to experience significant downpour.
Emergency Response:
- SDM Manali and HPSDMA: The Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) and the SDM Manali office have activated emergency helplines.
The state government has urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, especially near rivers and landslide-prone areas. Emergency helpline numbers include 1100, 1070, and 1077.
- Temperature Data: Minimum temperatures have remained above normal, with the lowest recorded at 12.2°C in Kukumseri, while Una experienced the highest maximum temperature at 36.4°C.
Advisory:
-Travel Warning; Given the heightened risk of landslides and flooding, authorities have advised against traveling in the affected areas. Residents are urged to remain vigilant and follow updates from official sources.
For more information and regular updates, visit the [IMD Shimla website](https://mausam.imd.gov.in/shimla/) or follow their [Twitter](https://twitter.com/himachalmausam) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100018411811087) pages.
