Heavy rain before noon on Friday caused major disruption in Himachal Pradesh. Two key roads connecting the Chowari subdivision to Chamba, Kangra’s Nurpur area, and Pathankot in Punjab were badly damaged.
A 100-metre stretch of the Lahru–Chowari link road was washed away, and the Chowari–Chamba road via Jot was also damaged near Kut village. This has cut off the entire Chowari region from the rest of the state.
The Lahru–Chowari road is a lifeline for people living in this area. It connects them to Kangra and Pathankot districts, which supply essential daily items.
The road is also important for medical emergencies, as patients are often taken to Tanda Medical College in Kangra or hospitals in Punjab using this route.
It’s the shortest way for Chamba residents to reach Kangra and other parts of the state through the Jot–Chowari road.
But now, with this road damaged, people will have to take longer routes through Pathankot–Dunera or Draman–Sihunta. The only alternative road, Chowari–Raipur–Lahru, is also unsafe and often closed due to landslides at various locations.
Narinder Chowdhary, Executive Engineer at the Chowari Public Works Department, said machines are working to clear and restore roads. However, he noted that repairing the Lahru–Chowari road won’t be easy, as a flooded rivulet underneath caused part of the road to sink.
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