india

Updated: Aug 21, 2019 22:48 IST

At least 553 student and 61 teachers, who were stranded in Nerwa tehsil in Shimla district due to landslides, were safely evacuated to their respective destinations on Wednesday, Shimla deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap said.

The schoolchildren were on their way back home, after participating in a district-level tournament here, when they were stuck in Nerwa as the road connecting Chopal with Nerwa was blocked at various places due to massive landslides, which were cleared for traffic on Wednesday.

“Due to restoration of Kupvi-Nerwa road(alternative route), 40 students and four teachers of Kupvi Education block would be sent to their respective destinations on Thursday,” the DC said, adding that 95 per cent of damaged roads in the district have been restored and the concerned departments have been directed to restore the remaining as soon as possible.

The DC visited Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohru and Chirgaon area to examine the restoration work and directed the local administration to provide help in repairing the link roads and to tackle traffic jams to ensure smooth transportation of apples.

He said all the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) schemes will also be repaired soon and directed the forest department officials to mark and chop old trees besides clearing the fallen one.

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has been directed to deploy buses on the affected routes to provide transport facilities to local residents. The DC also visited various schools of the area to access the damages caused by rain.

Horticulture and agriculture department officials have also been directed to access the losses of orchardist and agriculturist and submit the report immediately, so that compensation would provide as early as possible to the affected people.

Additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Apoorv Devgan visited the surrounding area from Nerva to Kupvi and reviewed the restoration works.

Manali-Leh highway reopens after four hours

The Manali-Leh Highway, which remained blocked for over four hours due to fresh landslides in Kullu district, was reopened for traffic on Wednesday evening, police said.

The highway has been opened for vehicles after the road near Marhi was cleared at around 4 pm on Wednesday, Kullu Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh said.

Fresh landslides had occurred at Marhi between Manali and Rohtang on the Manali-Leh highway at around 11.30 am, he said, adding that the highway remained blocked for traffic till 4 pm.

The highway had been opened for vehicles on Tuesday after remaining blocked for some days following landslides and flash floods triggered due to heavy rains.

Several other roads in Kullu district, which too were blocked due to landslides and flash floods were reopened on Wednesday, police said.

However, only light vehicles were allowed to ply on the Kullu-Manali route from Patlikuhal to Manali as the road was still damaged near Green Tax barrier, Singh said.

The road via Naggar from Patlikuhal has been reopened for heavy vehicles as well, he added.

The Banta Morh road near Gulaba in Manali and the Kullu-Anni road have also been reopened only for light vehicles, the SP said, adding the latter is badly damaged near Saujha.

He said Sarsari road on the Manikaran-Bhuntar route has been reopened for light vehicles and the Public Works Department is working to clear it for heavy vehicles too.

Rain related incidents have killed at least 25 people and caused widespread destruction in Himachal Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)