A portion of the Chandigarh-Manali highway that got washed away owing to flooding in the Beas, in Kullu, on August 26, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has allocated ₹100 crore for urgent repairs to the flood-ravaged Kullu-Manali corridor of NH 21, while it explores long-term solutions such as construction of tunnels.
The restoration work will be taken up at several locations, including 10 on the Kullu-Manali section that have been completely washed away, and five locations that have been partially damaged in the torrential rain and floods, the NHAI said in a press statement. The damage to NH 21, which connects Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab with Manali in Himachal Pradesh, over the week following heavy rain, flash floods and landslides, has cut off connectivity to Manali.
Restoration work is underway on the Chandigarh-Manali highway in Kullu on August 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav held a meeting on Friday (August 29, 2025) with senior NHAI officials as well as field officers from its regional office in Shimla, to review the situation.
Temporary repairs on
Funds have been sanctioned to the NHAI regional office in Shimla to commence restoration works, the statement said. The maintenance contractor on the site has also been mobilised by the NHAI, and temporary restoration of the highway section is under way on a “war footing”, it added.
The NHAI will also provide financial support to the Public Works Department of Himachal Pradesh to repair an alternative road that was also damaged. Only light vehicles are able to use this stretch now.
The NHAI is also exploring various options for permanent restoration of various sections of NH 21, including construction of tunnels, elevated structures and slope stabilisation. It has sought a detailed project report in this regard.
The NH 21 joins another key highway leading to Leh, and together, these routes provide direct connectivity between Chandigarh, Lahaul-Spiti, and Leh, fulfilling the aim of enhanced tourism and infrastructure development in India’s border regions by facilitating year-round access and economic activity.
The four-laning work of the Kiratpur-Manali highway began in 2013, and was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 11, 2024. The four-lane stretch, a section of which is still under construction, is being developed at a cost of around ₹3,400 crore. Once completed, the highway will shorten the distance between Kiratpur and Manali from 232 km to 195 km, and reduce the travel time by three hours.
Published – August 29, 2025 11:18 pm IST
