A stretch of National Highway-3 in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district was closed for vehicular traffic on Thursday due to a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst. The incident, which occurred late Wednesday, caused disruption between Dhundi and Palchan Bridge, also known as Leh-Manali Road, affecting vehicles traveling between Lahaul and Spiti. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.
The cloudburst took place at Anjani Mahadev nullah in the Manali area. Vehicles heading towards Manali from Lahaul and Spiti via the Atal Tunnel’s north portal have been diverted towards Rohtang, as advised by the Lahaul and Spiti police. They have urged commuters to travel only if absolutely necessary, exercise caution while driving, and remain aware of potential dangers along the route.
In addition to the highway closure, the state’s emergency operation center reported that 15 roads, including 12 in Mandi, two in Kinnaur, and one in Kangra district, were closed for vehicular traffic on Wednesday night. A total of 62 transformers were also disrupted. There have been reports of damage to a power project and a few houses, though official confirmation and assessment of the damage is pending.
The local Met office issued a ‘yellow’ alert for heavy rain in isolated areas of Himachal Pradesh for the next four days, from July 25th to 28th. The alert cautions about potential damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures, and ‘kutcha’ houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 27th, the state has experienced a total of 49 rain-related deaths, and the estimated financial losses have reached ₹ 389 crore, according to the emergency operation center.
