By – Shubhendra Singh Rajawat
Following a landslide at Sanwara on the Kalka-Shimla highway, authorities have urged motorists to avoid National Highway-5 until further notice.
The Kalka-Shimla highway was blocked for traffic on Wednesday morning after a stretch of it was swept away in a massive landslide near Sanwara in Solan district.
DC Rana, director of the state disaster management authority, said the landslide occurred near Koti, stranding commuters and disrupting supplies of everyday necessities such as milk, eggs, and newspapers.
Due to ongoing clearance activities, authorities have advised vehicles to avoid National Highway-5 until further notice. Traffic has been rerouted via Jangeshu and Dharampur. Men and machinery have been mobilized to repair the road.
Himachal Pradesh has received an orange alert.
Monsoon is preparing to return to the state after a brief relaxation, with the MeT department issuing a two-day orange signal for heavy rainfall.
Surender Paul, director of the India Meteorological Department’s Shimla office, stated that the western end of the monsoon trough at mean sea level runs close to the foothills of the Himalayas, while the eastern end passes through Gorakhpur, Patna, Sriniketan, Canning, and then east-south-eastwards to the center of a deep depression over the northeast Bay of Bengal off the coast of Bangladesh. A Western Disturbance is also active in the region, which will bring extra rain to Himachal Pradesh.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected throughout the state on August 3 and 4, potentially causing flooding and landslides. People have been asked to avoid waterways and unnecessary travel.
Since the start of the monsoon on June 24, 194 individuals have died in rain-related accidents, with monetary damages totaling 5,722 crore. In the state, 76 landslides and 53 flash floods have been reported.
Along with 246 shops and 2,257 cowsheds, up to 728 dwellings have been completely ruined and 7,234 have been partially damaged.
Losses totaling 1,987 crore were incurred by the Public Works Department, 1,543 crore by Jal Shakti Vibhag, and 1,506 crore by the State Electricity Board.