With no let-up in the rains causing damage across the state, the incessant rains is affecting vehicular traffic on the Kalka-Shimla National Highway-5 (NH-5), which is getting blocked intermittently at Chakki Mod point due to rock-mud slides and landslides at the site.
As restoration work is going on continuously, Solan Deputy Commissioner in the exercise of powers vested in him under Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 has ordered the suspension of heavy vehicles including buses in both directions from Solan to Parwanoo and vice-versa from Sunday evening.
“In view of the above, the alternative traffic management plan has been circulated to the general public so that seamless traffic movement can be ensured. It is again requested from the general public to follow the alternative traffic plan so as to avoid traffic congestion,” he appealed.
In the last 24 hours, Solan police have facilitated more than 3000 vehicles, including heavy vehicles on the NH-5 as and when it was opened at Chakki Mor and also have facilitated thousands of vehicles from the alternative routes, he informed.
He further informed that ‘fresh cracks’ have been developed on the Chakki Mor site due to which all kinds of heavy vehicles have been stopped from this route with immediate effect and have been diverted as per alternative traffic plan.
Also, since NH 205 has been blocked due to rockslide, landslides, it is hereby informed that all light vehicles heading towards Mandi or Bilaspur have been diverted from Darla mod via Beri-Ghaghas, he said, adding that all the light vehicles heading towards Shimla on this route have been diverted on the same routes above.
Meanwhile, HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur informed that the buses going towards Chandigarh-Delhi from Shimla will now go en route Nahan and the bus service to Chandigarh-Una-Pathankot from Shimla shall go enroute Kunihar-Ramsher-Siswan-Chandigarh.