Shimla, Aug 20 (UNI) Continuous heavy rainfall across Himachal Pradesh triggered a fresh wave of disruption in road transportation on Tuesday evening, prompting district administrations to issue a yellow alert and urge commuters to exercise extreme caution.
The India Meteorological Centre (IMD), Shimla, issued a warning about heavy downpours for the Solan, Shimla, Kangra and Mandi districts.
The Shimla District Administration has asked residents and tourists to strictly avoid venturing into upper hill regions, riverbanks and landslide-prone areas.
In a public advisory issued at 11:30 PM on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Mandi said the yellow alert for August 20 calls for high vigilance across the district.
“Citizens are requested to avoid going to hilly areas, rivers, streams and slide-prone locations in view of the severe weather conditions,” the statement said.
Road connectivity has taken a significant hit in Mandi district. Traffic on the Aut–Pandoh stretch has been completely stopped due to shooting stones and intermittent landslides.
Authorities said vehicular movement will be permitted only after the situation normalises and clearance operations are completed.
Officials confirmed that the alternate route via Kataula–Kamand is also currently unusable due to the deteriorated road condition caused by incessant rain.
“We request commuters to remain patient, follow lane discipline and cooperate with our field staff,” a Mandi Police advisory said.
Heavy rain in Solan and Kangra has similarly hampered traffic on several state highways, with minor landslips being reported from the Solan–Parwanoo section and parts of NH-503 in Kangra district. In Shimla, vehicles were seen moving slowly near Dhalli and Kufri amid slippery road conditions.
The Mandi District Disaster Management Authority has asked the public to immediately report any emergency at the helpline numbers 01905-226201/202/203/204 or 1077 (toll free).
