Himachal Pradesh’s infrastructure crisis has worsened dramatically as a major section of the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway near Kainchi Mod adjacent to Pandoh Dam has completely disappeared due to heavy rainfall and landslides. The destruction has left no passage even for pedestrians, with restoration appearing unlikely in the near future.
The overnight heavy rainfall in the region caused a large portion of the highway to be completely washed away, adding to the state’s mounting connectivity problems. As of Thursday night at 10:00 PM, 524 roads across the state remained closed, while 1,230 electricity transformers and 416 water supply schemes have been rendered non-functional. Mobile and internet services have also been disrupted in several areas.
Large commercial vehicles have been stopped near Nine Mile as authorities grapple with multiple highway blockages. The highway restoration work at Banala was scheduled for today, but the severe damage at Kainchi Mod has created a new crisis before the previous blockage could be cleared. While fallen rocks at Banala will be cleared today, repairing the damaged section near Kainchi Mod or creating an alternative route is expected to take considerable time.
The timing of this latest destruction is particularly concerning as the highway had only been restored at Dawara yesterday after remaining blocked for three days. The repeated closures and damage are severely impacting connectivity to popular tourist destinations and essential supply routes in the region.
Traffic to Kullu-Manali is now being diverted through the Mandi to Kullu via Kataula route, which remains operational but with restricted movement. Small vehicles are being allowed to pass at one-hour intervals, making this the only remaining route to Kullu-Manali. The alternate route arrangement highlights the precarious nature of connectivity in the region.
The Department of Telecommunications has responded to the communication crisis by activating intra-circle roaming facility for seven days until September 3 in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Additional Director General of Telecommunications announced this initiative to maintain mobile connectivity in the affected areas during the crisis.
Mobile users in the affected regions can now manually select any available mobile network through their device settings, even if it is not their original service provider’s network. This emergency measure allows consumers to access telecommunication services through any telecom operator that has network coverage in the area, ensuring continued communication despite infrastructure damage.
The comprehensive nature of the crisis extends beyond just road connectivity, with power and water supply systems severely compromised. The high number of affected transformers and water supply schemes indicates that restoration efforts will need to address multiple infrastructure systems simultaneously. The disruption of mobile and internet services compounds the difficulties faced by residents and tourists in affected areas.
The repeated damage to the same highway sections raises questions about the resilience of infrastructure in the region and the need for long-term solutions rather than temporary repairs. The pattern of restoration followed by immediate re-damage suggests that current repair methods may be insufficient to withstand the intensity of rainfall and geological conditions in the area.
Emergency response teams are working to clear immediate blockages, but the scale of destruction at key points like Kainchi Mod presents significant engineering challenges. The complete disappearance of highway sections, rather than just blockages, indicates the severity of soil erosion and water damage in the region.
The crisis has far-reaching implications for tourism, essential supplies, medical emergencies, and daily life in the affected districts. With the tourist season still ongoing, the connectivity disruption is likely to impact both immediate safety concerns and longer-term economic consequences for the region.
