NHAI Launches Urgent Restoration of Flood-Hit Kiratpur-Manali Highway

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated restoration of the flood-ravaged Kiratpur-Manali section of National Highway-21 in Himachal Pradesh, targeting 15 critical sites—10 completely washed away and five partially damaged—following torrential rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods in Mandi and Kullu districts. The damage, reported since August 17, 2025, has severed connectivity to the tourist hub of Manali, stranding thousands and crippling the region’s horticulture and tourism economy.

NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav convened a high-level meeting with headquarters and field officers to strategize repairs along the Kiratpur-Pandoh-Kullu-Manali corridor, where stretches, particularly between Mandi and Manali, have collapsed or been swept away by the swollen Beas River. The alternate Mandi-Kullu route via Kamand, managed by the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HP PWD), has also suffered damage, limiting it to light vehicles only. NHAI has pledged financial aid to HP PWD for immediate maintenance of this route to support diverted traffic.

Temporary restoration measures are underway, with adequate funds allocated to NHAI’s Shimla Regional Office to ensure swift action. The floods, which caused losses exceeding ₹1,000 crore—four times the 2023 flood damage—have destroyed key sections, including near Raison and Kainchi Mod, and inundated tunnels and bridges. Despite partial reopening of the highway on August 10 after an 18-hour closure, ongoing landslides and unstable terrain continue to challenge efforts, with full restoration expected to take days or weeks.

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Local Congress MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur and former BJP MLA Govind Thakur have emphasized relief and evacuation, while environmentalists blame unscientific construction and river encroachments for exacerbating the damage. NHAI is coordinating with state disaster management teams, deploying machinery and issuing travel advisories to defer non-essential travel to Kullu, Manali, and Lahaul-Spiti until conditions stabilize.

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