NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated urgent restoration efforts on the Kiratpur–Pandoh–Kullu–Manali corridor in Himachal Pradesh after the highway sustained severe damage due to flash floods and cloudbursts in Mandi and Kullu districts.
On Friday, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials and field officers from the Shimla Regional Office to assess the damage and begin immediate restoration and improvement works on National Highway 21. The central government has allocated ₹100 crore for short-term restoration activities.
Restoration work will target 10 locations on the Kullu–Manali section that were completely washed away and five other sites that were partially damaged by torrential rains, cutting off Manali from the rest of the state. Alternate routes managed by the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) have also been damaged and are currently open only to light vehicles.
“NHAI has decided to extend financial assistance to the state PWD for immediate repairs and maintenance of PWD roads currently being used for diverted highway traffic,” said officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). “Inaccessible areas will be temporarily restored to re-establish connectivity, and sufficient funds have been sanctioned to the NHAI’s Shimla office for urgent work.”
The highway’s maintenance contractor has been mobilised, and emergency repairs are being carried out on a war footing.
In parallel, NHAI is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for permanent restoration of flood-damaged stretches on the Kiratpur–Pandoh–Manali section. Long-term solutions under consideration include the construction of tunnels, elevated road structures, and slope stabilisation measures. Officials confirmed that in addition to the ₹100 crore sanctioned for immediate rectification, steps are being taken to implement durable and resilient infrastructure across the affected sections.