Landslide blocks SKTT road in Lahaul and Spiti as Himachal braces for wet spell

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Shimla  May 27

A massive landslide blocked the Sansari Killar Therot Tandi road in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district on Tuesday, disrupting vehicular movement and posing challenges for the ongoing panchayat election process in the region.

Officials said the landslide occurred near Jahalma Nullah, cutting off traffic on the key route. Deputy Commissioner Kiran Bhadana visited the affected site and said efforts were underway to restore connectivity at the earliest.

With panchayat elections currently underway in the district, the administration is prioritizing the movement of polling parties, election personnel, and ballot boxes to ensure the electoral process continues without disruption.

Major Paras Kocher, Officer Commanding of the Border Roads Organization’s 94 RCC, said work on an alternative route for light motor vehicles was progressing on a war footing. He said the temporary route is expected to be opened by Thursday.

Meanwhile, several parts of Himachal Pradesh continued to reel under heatwave conditions on Wednesday. According to the Meteorological Center in Shimla, isolated areas in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, and Solan districts recorded heatwave conditions amid dry weather.

The weather department, however, has forecast a change in conditions over the coming days. An orange alert has been issued for thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and gusty winds up to 60 kilometers per hour in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Thursday. Similar weather conditions are likely in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts on Friday.

The Met office has also predicted a wet spell across Himachal Pradesh from May 28 to June 2 due to the impact of a fresh western disturbance over northwest India.

Kukumseri recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 4.6 degrees Celsius, while Una remained the hottest place during the day with a maximum temperature of 44 degrees Celsius.