Vinay Kumar
Lahaul-Spiti: Traffic on the Manali-Leh Highway was restored around midnight near Jhalma Nallah in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed emergency restoration work, police said on Tuesday.The highway had been shut on Monday afternoon after a sudden surge in glacier meltwater triggered a flash flood-like situation in Jhalma Nallah, washing away a portion of the road and leaving more than 50 tourist vehicles stranded, news agency ANI reported.Notably, the flooding occurred despite no rainfall being reported in the area, with officials attributing the surge entirely to increased meltwater from glaciers.Lahaul-Spiti superintendent of police Shivani Mehla said over 50 tourist vehicles were stranded after the swollen nallah damaged the road. She said restoration work on the affected stretch was undertaken on a war footing, with BRO teams working alongside the local administration through the evening to reconnect the highway.Once the road was restored, all stranded tourists were safely evacuated, officials said.No casualties or injuries were reported in connection with the incident. Authorities said they continued to monitor the situation through the night as a precaution, with normal traffic movement resuming on the highway after restoration work was completed.The Manali-Leh Highway is a key route connecting Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti region with Ladakh and sees heavy tourist traffic during the summer months.(With agency inputs)
