Recurring landslides near Chakki Mod on the Kalka-Shimla expressway, a lifeline for Himachal Pradesh, for the fifth day on Saturday have not only disrupted travel but also dealt a blow to apple transportation and led to slump in tourism.

The busy link to Chandigarh has been rendered closed due to the landslips on a 250m stretch. The sinking portion of the highway is just above the Kaushalya river, making it difficult to take immediate measures until debris falls are contained. The highway is strategically important, too, as it further leads to the Hindustan Tibet road that stretches to the China border.

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“The rock falls and debris flow are concerns. If the weather remains fine on Saturday, we could consider opening a single lane of the highway,” Solan superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said, adding, “Though we have changed the route and asked commuters to use lateral, it is inconvenient for them.” Balwinder Singh, the project in-charge of GR Infraprojects that is handling the road restoration work, said that if there is no further rain, the highway could be opened for light vehicles over the next two days.

Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are closely monitoring the situation and have sought expertise in slope stabilisation.

Train services remain off track

The Kalka-Solan stretch of the Kalka-Shimla heritage rail line, which suffered extensive damage following heavy rainfall from July 9 to 11, will remain closed till August 26. Initially, Northern Railway had announced the resumption of rail services after repairs on August 6. However, the recent landslide prompted the authorities to extend the suspension of services until August 26.

Station superintendent Joginder Singh expressed concern over the damage caused by the rain between Dharampur and Kalka. “The rain has inflicted significant harm to the track at several locations, making it unlikely for services to be restored before August 26,” he said.

Hotels face booking cancellations

Local businesses, particularly those dependent on tourism, are reeling under the impact of the highway and rail service disruptions. The hotel industry, which relies on tourist traffic at destinations such as Dharampur, Kasauli, Barog, Chail, and Shimla, commonly accessed via the highway or rail route, are worst hit.

Hotel bookings are being cancelled with popular tourist destinations reporting a decline in footfall. “There is only 1% occupancy in the hotels in Shimla even during the weekends. Last month, it was the rain and now the damaged highway is costing tourism industry dear,” said Mohinder Seth, the president of the Himachal Tourism Stakeholders Association.

Transport rates upset applecart

Apple growers are finding it difficult to transport the harvest to Parwanoo town on the border with Haryana. With alternative routes necessitating additional freight cost, apple producers are now burdened with a 10-fold increase in transportation expenses.

To circumvent the cumbersome journey to Parwanoo, orchardists from upper Shimla are resorting to selling their goods in Panchkula and Chandigarh markets, leaving the apple traders at Parwanoo and Mandi besides the agents and APMC to bear the brunt of financial losses.

Meanwhile, National Highway 21 that connects Manali to Mandi has been opened for all traffic through Pandoh road that was blocked due to repeated landslides.