The Sanawar Gaon-Kasauli road remained blocked for several hours on Saturday evening after huge boulders rolled down from an illegally excavated hillside, disrupting traffic and leaving commuters stranded. The incident occurred due to straight cutting of the hill at nearly a 90-degree angle, in violation of norms that prohibit cutting slopes beyond 45 degrees.
Landslide Triggers Traffic Chaos
The excavation work on the hilly slope had been stopped after boulders started rolling down around 12:30 pm. However, by evening, a large portion of the hill caved in, completely obstructing vehicular traffic. As the incident occurred during the weekend, a large number of tourists traveling to Kasauli were caught in the traffic jam for hours.
Kasauli SDM, who rushed to the spot, directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to clear the road. Vehicles were diverted through the narrow Sanawar-Sukhi Jori road, leading to a huge traffic chaos. The SDM said PWD staff was pressed into service, and vehicular traffic was restored around 2:30 am on Sunday.
Realtor's Prolonged Excavation Blamed
The realtor had been excavating the hill for months by erecting metal sheets along the road, which had become considerably narrower and posed traffic issues. The SDM stated that the PWD had earlier served several notices on the realtor for obstructing the road with metal sheets, but these went unheeded.
The police have been directed to initiate legal action against the realtor, while the PWD will issue a fresh notice for obstructing the road. The incident highlights the dangers of illegal hill cutting in the region, which often leads to landslides and road blockages during the monsoon season.
