Roads in Chamba are obstructed by landslides
Even though it was a sunny day, three days of heavy rain caused many landslides that blocked major highways and other roads in the Chamba region, causing traffic disruptions in various locations. All traffic was stopped between Chaned and Kariyan, close to Chamba town, on the Bharmour-Chamba-Pathankot (NH 154A) route.
A significant landslide that occurred early in the morning halted traffic on the Chamba-Pathankot stretch for almost three hours, according to NHAI authorities. The landslide happened around four in the morning, and by seven in the morning, the PWD personnel and equipment had begun to remove the rubble.
In the meanwhile, the Chamba-Bharmour section of the highway was stopped in the morning by a landslide and rockfall close to Kariyan.
Long lines of cars gathered on both sides of the blocked national route, causing difficulty to commuters, including government workers and schoolchildren. People who were heading towards Chamba and Kangra in the morning from the Bharmour region became stuck and had to find another way to go where they needed to go.
Roadblocks that delayed the timely delivery of necessities for everyday life also caused cars carrying milk, bread, and vegetables headed for Bharmour to get stranded in the middle of their journey.
To rebuild the road, NHAI officials mobilized both personnel and equipment. However, blasting was necessary because of the great size of the rocks, which delayed the rebuilding of the road. It was only possible to open the road in the afternoon.
“The repair at Kariyan was delayed because of large rocks that needed to be blasted, but the obstruction at Chaned was lifted about seven in the morning. The route was once again available for traffic in the afternoon, according to National Highways, Chamba Executive Engineer Rajeev Sharma.
The Holi-Nagrayan road was blocked by another landslide in the Bharmour subdivision’s Mori Dhank Holi area. A landslide in the vicinity has partly damaged a temple. Travelers had difficulty because of the total cessation of vehicle traffic on this route due to the road closure. For the last two weeks, traffic has been obstructed on the Chamba-Holi route. Although the route was cleared for pedestrian traffic on Monday, a landslide has left devastation in its wake.
