Manali: Rains in Manali are not new. However this time, the rain did not stop for four days. The Beas with all its rivulets became a raging violent flow that ravaged Manali, sweeping all the roads away in its fury. Manali did not have electricity, water, phone lines or internet communication for the next four days.
Tourists anticipating a mountain retreat found themselves stranded without money, or the ability to return home. Migrant laborers living in hovels at the riverside were rendered homeless. The shops ran out of vegetables. Gas cylinders were precious and unobtainable. The fuel stations exhausted their supply of fuel.
Dr Phalip, chief of the Lady Willingdon said that the Hospital stayed open, and was the only resource for health emergencies. Thankfully the prescient staff had stocked up on diesel to keep our generator running.
He said “We have a bore well for water. We started cooking and distributing food to the homeless. The local administration has given us the responsibility for doing this in two areas where the homeless are sheltered. We found they needed blankets and supplied them on the 11th July.
He added, “The local administration requested us to provide breakfast for 300 people stranded over. He added that we did this on 11th July. The administration has been able to open a side road along the left bank that permits small vehicles to enter and leave Manali. Our vehicle went to restock our oxygen cylinders. This lifeline permitted supplies to enter Manali. The local villages are relatively self sufficient for now. The scale of destruction of all roads and bridges is unimaginable. It will probably take months or even a year for them to repair the roads”.
He thanked all our supporters who have called, prayed and written to us at this time, permitting us to continue to do our part in helping folk at this time.
He added we do foresee the need to continue to provide food for the migrant worker population till such time that they can rebuild their homes and stand on their own feet. This may take a month. We may need to coordinate with the district administration to relocate them and permit them to rebuild their temporary homes.
A largely washed away national highway, houses completely or partially destroyed, the river flowing relatively calmer than the previous days…these are the views from the hills of Manali. Drone footage showed up remnants of the floods that swept away bridges, cars and human lives.
The clear sky of Manali makes it seem that the flood threat is almost over.
Officials confirmed that traffic on the Chandigarh-Shimla highway had been restored on Tuesday. But as a part of the road has collapsed due to the landslide, only one-lane traffic is allowed now.
Traffic on the Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway and the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was temporarily suspended following the heavy rains.
Traffic has been partially restored in the landslide-damaged six-mile stretch of the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway in Mandi region.
Traffic is still suspended on various parts of the national highway. Passengers, including tourists, have been stuck at various places for hours as traffic on the national highway has been banned.
Sanjay Dutta, an engineer by qualification but is a journalist by choice.
He has worked for the premier new agency Press Trust of India and leading English daily Indian Express.
With more than a decade of experience, he has been highlighting issues related to environment, tourism and other aspects affecting mountain ecology.
Sanjay Dutta lives in a village close to Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal.
