Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Heavy overnight flooding of the Beas river on August 25–26 battered highway links and low-lying tourist areas in Kullu and Manali, sweeping away large sections of the Chandigarh–Manali highway and blocking the Manali–Leh road as torrents tore through riverbanks and adjoining stretches of pavement. Local administration teams declared a red alert across several districts and moved quickly to divert traffic where possible while assessing damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. 

Road engineers and police said key sections of the highway have effectively disappeared in places such as Bindu Dhank near Manali and parts of Raison, where the main carriageway was undermined and rendered impassable; at Vashisht Chowk near Manali the Manali–Leh route was reported blocked after the river swept away a portion of the road. Traffic has been rerouted on the left-bank link at Raison, but multiple bottlenecks remain and some alternate roads — including the Mandi-Kamand-Kataula-Bajaura-Kullu link — have also been reported blocked, leaving many commuters and travellers stranded overnight. 

The floods did not spare the tourism economy: restaurants and hotels along the riverfront suffered damage, with at least one restaurant reported washed away and water entering commercial hubs such as the Green Tax Barrier and the Alu Ground near Manali. Dev Lok, a frequented tourist spot near 15 Mile, experienced inundation late on August 25, prompting authorities to evacuate shops and nearby houses as a precautionary move to protect residents and visitors. 

Local leaders and officials were on the ground assessing the devastation early on Tuesday, while emergency services coordinated with district administrations to clear debris, manage diversions and plan temporary relief for those affected. With forecasts still uncertain, schools and colleges across several hill districts including Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, Una, Shimla and Bilaspur were ordered to remain closed for safety amid ongoing monitoring of river levels and weather warnings. 

Beyond immediate disruptions, the episode highlights ongoing vulnerabilities of Himalayan road corridors to cloudbursts and sudden river surges. The Beas, swollen by intense rainfall and upstream runoff, scoured riverbanks that support highways, small businesses and tourist infrastructure — underscoring the challenge of protecting lifelines that knit together mountain economies. Officials will now face the twin tasks of restoring connectivity quickly to limit economic losses during the tourist season and conducting more durable repairs to mitigate recurrence in coming monsoons. 

Travellers are advised to avoid the affected corridors until authorities reopen them and to follow official advisories for route changes and safety measures. Relief planning is expected to focus on temporary shelter, restoring critical stretches of road to allow emergency vehicles, and supporting businesses and residents whose properties were damaged by the flood surge.