Kinnaur Highway Closed: Landslides Disrupt Traffic for 36 Hours

In Himachal Pradesh, despite clear weather in most areas, landslides are causing disruptions in the Kinnaur district. The National Highway-5 connecting Shimla to Kinnaur and Kaza has been continuously affected by landslides. The route has been closed for the past 36 hours, and even on Wednesday, there were additional landslides, causing a shower of boulders.
Persistent rockfall from the mountains has made the restoration of this route challenging. The closure of the route has completely halted the movement of vehicles coming and going from Reckong Peo-Kaza and Rampur Shimla. SDM Kalpa Major Shashank Gupta mentioned that efforts to reopen this highway would continue until Thursday afternoon. He assured that there is no shortage of essential food items in the district, and there is a sufficient supply of petrol and diesel. The blocked route is being worked on intensively, but obstacles persist due to the continuous flow of debris from the mountains.
In Himachal Pradesh, the weather is expected to remain clear for the next seven days, according to the Shimla Meteorological Center. The centre forecasts sunshine across the state until November 21. However, temperatures are dropping, with the lowest recorded at 27 degrees in Dhaulakuan, Sirmaur. Meanwhile, Lahaul Spiti’s Samdo recorded a temperature of 0.2 degrees. Currently, the Leh-Manali National Highway is open, and BRO teams have successfully restored the Samdo-Kaza-Losar Gramphoo road. However, travellers are advised to plan their journeys considering the time constraints.
In conclusion, while the weather is clear in most parts of Himachal Pradesh, the Kinnaur district is facing disruptions due to landslides on the National Highway 5, causing significant challenges in the road restoration process.