The Kullu-Manali Left Bank road was severely damaged due to heavy rain and landslides seven months ago but its condition at several stretches, especially at Aleo near Manali, has not improved.
Around Rs 4 crore has been spent on the repair of the road but its prevailing condition continues to be a cause for concern for locals and tourists alike.
The Left Bank road was extensively damaged at multiple locations due to heavy rain, landslides and flash floods.
To ensure uninterrupted road connectivity between Kullu and Manali, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had provided around Rs 4 crore to the state Public Works Department (PWD) for the repair of the Left Bank road via Naggar. However, the road has not been tarred and only one lane is open for vehicular traffic.
As a result, traffic congestion is witnessed on it every day. Tourists heading to Manali, along with thousands of residents from villages located in the Left Bank area, are facing long delays.
Tourism stakeholders say that the poor condition of the road is directly impacting business in the Left Bank area, which heavily depends on smooth seasonal traffic.
Tourism entrepreneurs such as Gajendra Thakur, Manohar Lal, Kishan Thakur and Mohan Lal say that the Aleo stretch of the Left Bank road is still kutcha and restricted to one-way traffic.
“It is shocking that even a 100-metre road stretch has not been properly repaired in seven months,” says a local trader.
NHAI Resident Engineer Ashok Chauhan says that they had released funds specifically to keep the Kullu-Naggar-Manali Left Bank route operational during emergencies. Meanwhile, PWD officials maintain that the entire road at Aleo was washed away during the last monsoon season.
According to Anoop Sharma, Executive Engineer, PWD, Manali, the road has been temporarily restored and RCC protection walls are being constructed along the Beas. He says that tarring will be done after the safety walls are constructed.
Besides temporary repairs, the widening of the Left Bank road has been discussed for years. In June 2021, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced the widening of the Kullu-Naggar-Manali road stretch to two lanes on priority.
In January 2023, the NHAI started preparing a detailed project report (DPR). Recently, a Rs 5,621-crore proposal for the construction of four lanes along the Beas left bank was announced.
However, floods in 2023 and 2025 shifted focus back to restoring the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway, pushing the Left Bank road plan into limbo.
The current state of the Kullu-Manali Left Bank road highlights a troubling disconnect between policy announcements and execution. Locals and tourism stakeholders are now demanding immediate repair of the road.