CHANDIGARH: Traffic on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway has been blocked after shooting stones near Mehla village in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district.
A landslide blocked the road, disrupting traffic for all types of vehicles. As a precautionary measure, the Bilaspur police have suspended the movement of vehicles beyond Mandi Bharari Chowk.
Vehicles travelling to Chandigarh from Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi and Kullu have been diverted to Nauni Chowk via Mandi Bharari Bridge. They have been advised to use NH 205 to Swarghat before proceeding towards Kiratpur.
Meanwhile, traffic travelling from Chandigarh to Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kullu and Manali has been diverted from Swarghat to Nauni Chowk, from where vehicles can proceed via the four-lane highway.
No loss of life has been reported in the incident.
Appealing to the public to travel only via the prescribed alternative route and cooperate with traffic police, Superintendent of Police of Bilaspur Abhishek Dhiman said that to ensure public safety and smooth traffic management, vehicles travelling between Bilaspur and Chandigarh are advised to use the alternative routes.
Motorists stranded on the highway have been advised to remain patient and follow the directions of the local administration and police personnel deployed at the site.
Tourists and residents have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel on the Kiratpur-Manali National Highway during the ongoing spell of heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 118 roads continue to remain blocked across the hill state due to damage caused by torrential rain.
Of the total blocked roads, 44 are in Mandi, 39 in Kullu, 13 in Shimla, seven in Chamba, six in Sirmaur, five in Kangra, three in Una and one in Solan.
Heavy rain is likely to continue across Himachal Pradesh until August 15, with orange and yellow alerts issued for several districts.
For August 10, orange alerts have been issued for Kangra and Sirmaur, with heavy to very heavy rain expected at isolated places in these districts.
Similarly, yellow alerts have been issued for Solan, Mandi and Bilaspur, with heavy rain expected at isolated places. Light to moderate rain is expected in other parts of the state.
