Heavy rain batters Kangra; tree blocks Pathankot–Manali Highway, schools closed

Kangra, July 21

Heavy rainfall continued to disrupt normal life across Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Tuesday, with overflowing rivers and streams, traffic disruptions and the closure of educational institutions amid a red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

A large tree fell on the Pathankot–Manali National Highway (NH-154) near Palampur, blocking traffic and triggering long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway. Officials said teams from the concerned department were immediately deployed to the site and launched operations to remove the tree and restore traffic movement.

The district administration said continuous rainfall has caused several rivers and seasonal streams to swell, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. Residents have been advised to stay away from riverbanks and landslide-prone areas, avoid unnecessary travel and strictly follow IMD advisories.

As a precautionary measure, all educational institutions in Kangra district remained closed on Tuesday in view of the red alert and adverse weather conditions.

The administration said it is closely monitoring the situation and appealed to the public to rely only on official information, avoid rumors and exercise caution until the weather improves.