Landslide blocks two lanes of Kumarhatti-Solan road
People travelling from Chandigarh to Solan had a tough time due to a massive landslide that occurred near DAV School on the Kumarhatti-Solan stretch of the National Highway-5 this afternoon.
A large quantity of muck and boulders fell on the highway, blocking access to some flats located uphill. Two lanes of the highway were totally blocked, disrupting traffic movement from the Chandigarh side. Traffic policemen were deputed to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. People coming from Chandigarh were unable to use the flyover connecting to the landslide area. They were directed to use the arterial route through the Barog bypass.
Officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which had widened this highway to four lanes, directed the contractor concerned to deploy its workforce and machinery to remove the debris. Earth excavation machines were deployed to clear the muck and the work was likely to be completed by tomorrow.
Project Director, NHAI, Anand Dahiya said that traffic was affected on two lanes of the highway while its other portion was open for vehicular movement. He added that the road would be cleared by tomorrow as a large quantity of muck and boulders had fallen on it.
The incident site is vulnerable to landslides; one landslide had occurred there last year also.
