Heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours has thrown life out of gear in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, causing landslides, waterlogging in homes and road blockages in several areas.
One of the worst-affected routes is the Shimla–Sunni–Karsog highway. It has been totally blocked near Devidhar, around 35 km from Shimla, leaving several vehicles and commuters stranded.
At the time of filling this copy, restoration work had yet to begin, and long traffic jams were building up on both sides of the landslide zone. The situation has left locals and travellers anxious and frustrated, as fresh landslides continue to occur, making the already challenging conditions even more difficult.
Ajay, a commuter travelling from Shimla to Mandi, said "I have been stuck here for the past hour. Just before I reached this point, a landslide occurred. A car in front of me narrowly escaped being hit," said Ajay.
"Till now, there has been no response from the administration or the PWD (Public Works Department). We are all just waiting. Due to the heavy rains, we are facing a lot of trouble. Landslides are occurring in several places. I even heard that another landslide occurred behind us. When I spoke to people back home, I found out that water had entered several houses due to the rainfall. There's widespread panic," he added.
Manish, who is travelling from Patiala, was on the way to his in-laws' residence in the Sunni area of Shimla district when he got stuck near the site which was hit by landslide.
"I left Punjab last night and have been trying to reach my in-laws' house in the Sunni area, but I've been stuck here for the last hour. The road is completely blocked, and now rocks are also falling from above," he added.
"I only have 15 kilometres to travel, but I can't proceed because of the blockage. It's frightening. Landslides are happening again and again, and stones are falling from above. Now all we can do is wait and hope the road opens soon so we can move ahead," he added.
A Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus travelling from Delhi to Karsog is among several HRTC and private buses stranded due to the road blockade. Jagdish Sharma, the bus conductor, shared the difficulties faced by the 20 passengers on board, highlighting the growing discomfort as they remain stuck with no immediate relief in sight.
"We are carrying 20 passengers who had boarded from Delhi. We were on our way to Karsog, but now the road is completely blocked," he said.
"We've informed our higher officials so that arrangements can be made to clear the road. Heavy rainfall has caused widespread damage, and people are facing a lot of trouble," he added.
According to local reports, a sense of panic has set in among residents and travellers in the affected area. Several homes and shops have been flooded due to the relentless rainfall. So far, the administration has not issued any official statement or timeline for clearing the blocked highway.
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