Landslides, Highways blocked, Rail Link disconnected, and life paralyzed due to monsoon fury in Himachal

Triggering of landslides following continuous rains besides throwing normal life out of gear paralyzed telecommunication services and disrupted vehicular traffic at several places including on the Kalka-Shimla Railway section across the district, during the past 24 hours.

The vehicular traffic on the Industrial township Baddi and Nalagahr highway has also been suspended by the district administration following swelling rivers and rivulets in the Baddi-Barotiwala- Nalagarh industrial belt of Solan district.

 Meanwhile, the Northern railway authorities have also suspended the railway traffic on the world heritage Kalka–Shimla section following the triggering of landslides at various places between Shimla to Parwanoo. The railway authorities have started the operation to clear the track and ensure the smooth movements of up and down trains on the section.

Heavy rains also caused heavy damage to public property forcing the authorities have sounded the alert urging the people to restrain their unwarranted movements on the roads. After the triggering of landslides near Koti on NH number 05, Sanwara, and the sinking of a portion of the highway near Kumaharhatti, the authorities of the northern railway have canceled the movement of all Up and down trains on the section, since last night. 

 Similarly, movement of vehicular traffic was badly affected on almost all the internal roads including Kasauli-Dharampur, Kunihar-Subathu, Arki-Manju, Darla-Mangal, Subathu-Solan, Barotiwala- Subathu and Dharampur- Subathu and Nalagarh-Kunihar, Solan-Rajgarh, Oachghat- Sultanpur, Kandaghat–Chail and over three dozens of internal and mains roads were blocked by landslides and numerous places in Arki, Nalagarh, Kandaghat, Kasauli and Solan subdivisions of the district.

 Reports reaching district headquarter revealed that the continuous rains also caused heavy damage to standing crops of maize, tomato, paddy, and peas on hundreds of bighas of land in different parts of the district. Besides, several bighas of land also washed along the rivers across the district.

 Meanwhile, solan deputy commissioner Manmohan Sharma said on Monday that he has issued instructions to all the SDMs to keep strict vigil in the respective sub-divisions and ensure all possible help to the victim if any in the region.