Chamba-Holi road closed for 6th day, fresh landslide hits restoration work

Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 22

The Chamba-Holi road could not be opened to traffic as a fresh landslide on Monday hit the restoration work being carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD).

Earlier, the landslide, which occurred at Dunda Bridge near Kharamukh on Wednesday, had obstructed the route, disrupting public transport and supply of essential items.

Despite ongoing efforts to reopen the road to vehicular traffic, the incessant falling of debris and rocks has hampered the work. Due to this, Holi has been cut off, causing considerable inconvenience to travellers.

The hill above the landslide site has developed cracks. Daily commuters are forced to traverse a steep climb of about a kilometre on foot to get across. Nearly 20-metre road has been rendered impassable due to the landslide.

The closure of the road has led to several vehicles stranded, including Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses, private vehicles and heavy vehicles carrying construction materials for a hydropower company. People travelling in emergencies are forced to pay exorbitant fares for taxis to reach their destinations.

With the main road blocked, local authorities have diverted the traffic, while the PWD has been directed to expedite the road restoration works.

PWD Junior Engineer Ajay Kumar said additional machinery had been deployed on both the ends of the road to step up the restoration efforts. However, another landslide has hampered the efforts.

Considering the frequent rock fall, the restoration work is being conducted with utmost caution to ensure the safety of machinery and operators, he said.

Earlier, the PWD authorities had hoped to reopen of the road by Sunday however, continuous flow of debris posed a challenge.

Controlled blasting and water spray to remove the loosely hanging boulders and debris also didn’t yield any fruitful results.

The PWD is now considering another round of blasting.

Officials estimate that the complete collapse of the mountainside due to blasting would prevent recurring landslide.

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