Munish Sood
MANDI: A major landslide near the 4 Mile area close to Pandoh in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has severely disrupted traffic on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-3), leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded and prompting the authorities to issue a strong advisory against travel towards Manali, Lahaul and Leh.
The Himachal Pradesh administration has urged all tourists and commercial vehicles to avoid non-essential travel along this key stretch until clearance operations are complete and conditions are declared safe.
Landslide triggered late Sunday night
The incident began late Sunday night around 11 pm with minor rockslide reported near the 4 Mile section of the highway. The authorities immediately halted traffic as a precautionary measure. However, by Monday morning around 8 am, a major landslide occurred, dumping massive volumes of debris, rocks and mud onto the road and cutting off all vehicular movement.
Anil Katoch, in-charge of the Pandoh police post, confirmed that ongoing rockfall from the cliff above is hampering debris removal efforts. While heavy earth-moving machinery has been deployed to the site, restoration work remains difficult due to the scale of the slide and continued instability of the hillside.
Stranded tourists face food shortage amid traffic jam
The highway blockade has left hundreds of vehicles trapped on either side of the landslide zone. Tourists en route to destinations such as Rohtang Pass, Keylong and Leh are bearing the brunt of the disruption, with many facing extended delays amid limited access to food, drinking water and sanitation facilities.
Emergency services are currently on-site, assisting those stranded and attempting to coordinate basic relief efforts. Officials have requested maximum cooperation from the public and advised travellers to remain patient as clearance work continues.
In light of the situation, the Himachal Pradesh administration has released the following travel advisory:
• Postpone all non-essential travel towards Manali, Lahaul or Leh via NH-3 for the next 24 to 48 hours.
• Avoid night travel, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season.
• Stay informed through official traffic advisories issued by HP Traffic Police and local administration.
• Carry emergency provisions, including food, water, extra fuel, warm clothing and basic medicines.
Alternative routes risky, say authorities
While alternate routes via Shimla-Rampur-Kinnaur-Kaza-Keylong may exist, authorities caution that these are longer, more challenging and only suitable for experienced drivers operating well-equipped vehicles.
Officials have warned travelers against blindly following Google Maps in hilly terrain, as many mountain paths suggested online may be non-motorable or highly unsafe during the monsoon.
This marks the second major landslide at 4 Mile in recent weeks. In the previous instance, the highway remained blocked for nearly 28 hours before being restored. The recurrence highlights the fragile nature of this critical transport corridor during the monsoon period.
