Landslide in Mandi blocks Chandigarh-Manali highway

Tribune News Service
Mandi, January 10

A massive landslide at 7mile in Mandi district brought traffic flow on the Chandigarh-Manali Highway to a standstill on Monday evening.  

Long queues were reported on either side of the roadblock a few kilometres from the Mandi bus stand. This is usually a busy highway, especially in the tourist season.

Mandi Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said police have been deployed on both sides of the roadblock to help clear the roads faster.  Police have instituted traffic diversions to easy traffic—light vehicles going from Mandi to Kullu have been diverted through Grahan, Sivabadar and Pandoh and those going from Manali to Chandigarh can go through Pandoh, Gohar and Dadour Chowk.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Authority of India is trying to clear the debris away to restore traffic, officials said, but work is slower than expected because of the growing winter darkness.