Incessant rainfall continues since last night, aggravating the impact on this hill state, as a main bridge connecting Panjore of Haryana to the industrial area of Baddi has been damaged this morning beside the state capital Shimla, and the industrial area of Solan district is cut off from the rest of the state and country once again.
According to a post tweeted by HP Traffic, the Tourist and Railways Police warned that a pillar on the Baddi Main Bridge collapsed around 0700 hrs on Wednesday and the bridge is bent in the middle.
District Traffic Police informed commuters and industrial houses that this portion of highway has been permanently closed for traffic at the Baddi Main barrier bridge. There would be no foot movement as well. Administration advised people to follow an alternate route via Maranwala Barotiwala for entry into BBN (Baddi, Browtiwal, and Nalagarh industrial areas).
The district administration, Solan, also issued instructions that NH 05 from Shimla to Chandigarh is now closed for all types of vehicles at Chaki Mod. Alternative routes have also been closed due to landslides in many places.
It has been raining intermittently since last night, and many Road in Shimla district has been closed. According to the district administration, NH-5 is blocked between Parwanoo and Solan; NH 205 is opened at the Ghanndal valley bridge for light motor vehicles having less than 20 tonnes of weight; and Narkanda-Nankhari and Nankhari-Nirath roads are blocked.
Other roads blocked in Shimla district are Sunni-Rampur, Bioleuganj-Summerhill, Tutikandi-Phagli and Khalini, Bemoli to Tallland, Mehli-Junga, Mehli- Badagoan-Shoghi, Chhota Shimla-Oakover (nr Rahat hotel), Kasumpti and Perimahal, Kasumpti-SDO complex-Vikasnagar, and police line Kaithu.
Narkanda-Tikkar, Kharpathar-Tikkar, and Gumma-Baghi roads were closed for heavy vehicles. The Shimla-Airport road was also disrupted at a number of places.
Santhu-Lower Thadi roads in Solan were disrupted by a flash flood, and two vehicles were pushed off the roads, tangling on the parapet.
IMD has kept ten districts of Himachal Pradesh on red alert, issuing an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places.
Accompanied by thunder and lightening, Solan and Shimla districts witnessed unprecedented rainfall since the last 12 hours, which paralysed normal life in both districts.
IMD warned that moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms was very likely to continue at most places in the state. Very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at a few places in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra, and heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Chamba, Kullu, Kinnauri, Lahul, and Spiti for the next 2 to 3 hours.
