Munish Sood
MANDI: The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway has been blocked after a portion of the road gave way on the Mandi-Kullu stretch near Pandoh Dam on Friday (August 1, 2025) morning. The incident occurred around 8 am between Pandoh Dam and Baglamukhi Ropeway, forcing a complete shutdown of traffic.
Nearby Shivabadar village was completely cut off as the only link road connecting it to the main highway was severed. This alternate route was temporarily pressed into service in 2023 following a landslide on the Kainchi Mod section. However, with this backup route now rendered unusable, the situation has become critical for the local population.
During the incident, a vehicle was caught in the debris but its occupants managed to escape without injury. Continuous heavy rainfall in the region has heightened the risk of further landslides, leading to growing concern among residents and commuters.
A team from the Pandoh police outpost is currently on the site and all vehicular movement is being halted before the Pandoh Dam as a precautionary measure. The authorities have indicated that reopening the highway will not be possible until weather conditions improve and the slope is stabilised.
Local residents and regular commuters have voiced strong concerns over the repeated collapse along this vital national highway. They have urged the administration to implement permanent geo-technical and slope-stabilisation measures, stating that temporary patchwork solutions were no longer sustainable.
“Every year, roads collapse and villages are cut off, but no long-term resolution is ever put in place,” lamented one resident.
