Daijiworld Media Network – Kinnaur

Kinnaur, Sep 6: A massive landslide struck National Highway-5 (NH-5) near the Nathpa Dam in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, triggering panic and causing severe disruption. A chilling video of the incident showed huge rocks and rubble tumbling down the hillside and crashing into the dam site.

The landslide has raised serious concerns over the safety and operations of the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydropower Project, one of India’s largest hydroelectric power stations. Traffic movement along the vital NH-5, which connects Himachal Pradesh to neighbouring states, has been completely blocked. Authorities have advised commuters to avoid the stretch as clearance operations could take a long time given the scale of destruction.

The disaster comes amid relentless monsoon rains that have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 355 people have lost their lives this season — 194 in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and lightning, and 161 in road accidents.

In Kinnaur, heavy rainfall has intensified the frequency of landslides in recent weeks. On September 2, a massive slide near Wangtu damaged five parked vehicles, though the drivers managed to escape unharmed. Multiple stretches of the highway, including Nigulsari and Nathpa, remain vulnerable, with heavy machinery deployed for clearance.

The highway was also shut down on August 30 after multiple landslides cut off connectivity to Reckong Peo and upper Kinnaur. Even an alternate route through the Nathpa dam site had to be closed after fresh slides.

Authorities have urged travellers to exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel along landslide-prone stretches of NH-5.