Heavy rainfall blocks Manali-Chandigarh Highway, restoration work begins

The heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district blocked Manali-Chandigarh Highway on Sunday evening. The restoration work is under process

The Manali-Chandigarh highway blocked traffic on Monday due to a rain-induced landslide in Himachal's Mandi district. Commuters were stranded in the area since Sunday evening. 

The restoration work is under process to clear the Manali-Chandigarh highway as it was blocked by stones and boulders, says Mandi officials.

National Highway 21 is expected to reopen for traffic in the next seven-eight hours, officials added. Commuters are advised not to move towards Mandi until the road is opened.

The Mandi district police released an official statement informing about the blocked Mandi-Kullu highway. The statement reads that severe weather conditions with continuous rain and flash flood in Khoti Nala near Aut have blocked Mandi-Kullu National Highway.

Moderate to heavy rains have also lashed in some parts of Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur districts. The wettest rain is observed in Dharamshala with 106.6 mm of rain, followed by Kataula 74.5 mm, Gohar 67 mm, Mandi 56.4 mm, Poanta Sahib 43 mm and Palampur 32.2 mm.

The local MeT office issued an alert for heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning in isolated places on June 27 and June 28, and thunderstorms coupled with lightning from June 27 to June 29.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) advised farmers to take adequate measures to avoid rain consequences and said that the rain may cause damage to standing crops, fruit plants, and young seedlings. The continuous rain in the Mandi district is the reason for the increased water level in the Beas River.

Monsoon reached Himachal Pradesh on June 24. According to IMD officials, Kotla in Mandi received the highest rain in the state. It received 64.4 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. The heavy rain is the reason behind the cold bust in the Capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla.