Flash floods shut Manali-Leh highway, cut off villages in Himachal

In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods forced the closure of the strategic Manali-Leh highway and cut off around a dozen villages in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti (ANI photo)

NEW DELHI: The monsoon’s uneven advance continued to bring contrasting weather across India on Monday, with flash floods disrupting life in Himachal Pradesh and heavy rain triggering widespread damage in parts of the Northeast, while northern states grappled with an intense heatwave. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue over the northeastern region and parts of the Himalayan belt over the coming days, even as heatwave conditions persist across parts of north India.In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods forced the closure of the strategic Manali-Leh highway and cut off around a dozen villages in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti. Meanwhile, in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, swollen rivers, landslides and damaged roads disrupted normal life, prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah to speak with the chief ministers of both states and assure them of full support from the Centre.The weather department has forecast a fresh wet spell across Himachal Pradesh until July 4 as a western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from July 2, while monsoon conditions are likely to strengthen over several northern states later this week.

The Manali-Leh highway remained closed after flash floods struck Jispa, while another flash flood in Jhalma nallah cut off access to several villages in Lahaul and Spiti. Officials said debris carried by floodwaters blocked the road leading to the district headquarters at Keylong, while the Jobrang bridge, a crucial link to remote areas, was submerged.Locals attributed the flooding to rapidly melting snow in the surrounding mountains, which caused water levels in Jhalma nallah to rise sharply. Videos showing torrents of water sweeping through the valley have circulated widely online.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has deployed its 70 RCC unit with three machines working through the night to clear the highway. Although around a dozen stranded vehicles were moved to safety earlier, officials said the road continues to be blocked by fresh debris as floodwaters remain strong. A BRO official said every effort was being made to reopen the route as soon as conditions improve.