Traffic restored fully on Srinagar-Jammu highway
Srinagar-Jammu national highway was open for two-way traffic on Sunday while Srinagar-Leh and the Mughal Road remained snowbound and closed.
Kullu-Mandi national highway was again blocked on Tuesday near Pandoh Dam, leaving almost 800 vehicles stuck. Officials say the road has been shut following the recent landslides that destroyed the main highway near Pandoh dam in Mandi.
The highway has shut down for the second time this month. Earlier, the Kullu-Mandi highway was shut after a portion of the road collapsed near Pandoh between August 13 and August 21.
The only other access to the outside world through Kandi-Kataula is operational. But that is a very narrow road through which only utility vehicles can be driven. At present, all the essential provisions such as LPG, and vehicular fuel trucks are being ferried through that road. However, Sanjay Thakur, a local from Kullu said that in the normal course, Mandi to Kullu is a one-hour drive if the national highway was open. But through the alternate route of Kandi-Kataula, it takes anything between five to seven hours. And this route is right now open only for emergency services. Tourists should not come to Kullu-Manali.
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With the closing of the road tourism, agriculture, and horticulture is also likely to take a hit. Anup Thakur, Kullu-Manali Prayatan Vikas Mandal president, says, “The entire economy of the two districts ~ Lahaul & Spiti and Kullu and Manali has come to a standstill.” Even the adventure sports activity in Kullu-Manali has taken a severe hit with activities like trekking, cycling, mountaineering, and rafting coming to a halt.
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