Shimla: Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena on Friday said that nearly 3,000 pilgrims stranded in Bharmour during the Manimahesh Yatra are being evacuated as heavy rains and landslides continue to batter Himachal Pradesh. He assured that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the stranded devotees.
Saxena, while reviewing the monsoon situation in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, appealed to the public not to believe in rumours and rely only on official information. “The situation in Chamba is under control, and all pilgrims are safe,” he said. The Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police are stationed in Bharmour and are closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock with local administration support.
Telephone connectivity has been restored in Chamba town and will soon be functional in the tribal belt of Bharmour. However, the Chamba–Bharmour road remains blocked due to massive landslides between Bagga and Durgathi, leaving around 10,000 people stranded in Chamba town. The Chief Secretary said that if the need arises, rations and other essentials will be airlifted to Bharmour to prevent shortages.
He further directed officials to persuade pilgrims gathered in Chamba town to return to their homes, as restoring road connectivity will take considerable time due to severe damage. Top officials have been deployed in the region, including the DGP, PWD, and HPSEBL secretaries, along with senior officers from the Department of Telecommunications to restore services at the earliest.
The Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Pathania, and Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh and Jagat Singh are scheduled to visit Chamba. Additionally, the Divisional Commissioner, Kangra, and two senior police officers have been asked to rush to Chamba to oversee the situation.
Meanwhile, in Lahaul-Spiti, telephone connectivity has been partially restored with Jio services operational, and the electric sub-station at Thirot has also been made functional.
