Munish Sood
MANDI: Relentless rainfall since Monday night has wreaked havoc on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-3), triggering multiple landslides and cutting off the vital Mandi-Kullu corridor. The situation has left hundreds of commuters stranded, as authorities race against time to clear debris and restore connectivity under challenging weather conditions.
Traffic movement came to a grinding halt around 3 am after heavy debris and water inundated the highway at several critical points, including 4 Mile, 6 Mile, 9 Mile, Jagar Nala and Dhiyod. The landslides occurred in quick succession, overwhelming early morning restoration efforts by local authorities.
Anil Katoch, in-charge of the Pandoh police post, confirmed that massive rock and mudslides rendered the road impassable. “We managed to restore partial one-way movement on the Mandi-Pandoh section earlier today, but another landslide near Jogni Mod around 11 am again disrupted the clearance operation,” he said.
Restoration efforts in full swing despite weather risks
Praveen Talwar, Assistant Engineer at the PWD Thalout division, reported that heavy machinery and response teams have been stationed on both ends of the blocked highway. “The debris removal work is progressing on a war footing, but continuous falling rocks from the hillside are posing a serious threat to workers and slowing down progress,” he said. “If weather conditions remain stable, we aim to restore one-way traffic by 4 pm.”
The district administration has urged travelers to avoid unnecessary movement and instead use alternate routes where possible. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for continued heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours, further elevating the risk of fresh landslides.
“Public safety is our top priority,” said a district official. “We advise all commuters to remain updated with official advisories and avoid venturing into landslide-prone zones until the situation stabilises.”
