Severe Landslide Cuts Off Kinnaur from Shimla

Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh faced major disruptions after a massive landslide blocked National Highway 5. Though no injuries were reported, tourist vehicles and apple-laden trucks were stranded. Efforts to clear the debris are ongoing but hindered by intermittent rock falls. The region has also experienced a significant monsoon deficit this season.

Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh was cut off from state capital Shimla after a massive landslide hit National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet road) in Negulsari early Tuesday morning, officials said.

No one was injured in the incident. Due to the landslide, a large number of tourist vehicles and apple-laden trucks were stranded on both sides of the highway. Efforts to clear the highway are underway. However, debris rolling down the mountains is obstructing the work, officials said.

After a landslide at Negulsari last year, alternate arrangements were made for transporting cash crops and ensuring that farmers' produce reaches the market on time. But moving apples through the ropeway is a tough and time-consuming task. The ropeway was set up between Krampa in Negulsari and Dhumti on the Chaura-Rupi link road.

The weather in Himachal Pradesh has been dry for the last 24 hours and conditions are favourable for the further withdrawal of southwest monsoon from more parts of the state during the next two-three days, the local Met office said. According to officials, 186 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since the onset of monsoon in the hill state on June 27, while 28 are missing. The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,360 crore due to the rains.

The rain deficit in the current monsoon season from June 1 till September 30 was 18 per cent with the state receiving 600.9 mm rainfall against an average of 734.4 mm, the weather office said. The state received the highest rainfall in the monsoon season in 1922, when it logged 1,314.6 mm of precipitation, according to the Met. Tabo in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state with a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius, while Una was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius.

(With inputs from agencies.)