Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Saturday announced that travel and goods transport via the Baglamukhi ropeway near Pandoh in Mandi district would remain completely free of cost for the next 7 to 10 days, offering critical relief to residents cut off by landslides and flashfloods in the aftermath of a June 30 cloudburst.
Calling the ropeway the “only lifeline” for residents of the Seraj and Nachan regions, Agnihotri said, “This is not a time for profit; this is a time for service.” He added that emergency use of the ropeway would be allowed through phone requests, and so far, over 1,500 people have already benefitted from the facility.
The Deputy CM personally toured disaster-hit areas in Mandi on Friday and Saturday, even using the ropeway himself to access remote and isolated villages. He reviewed damage caused by flashfloods and landslides, including the destruction of a ₹121-crore drinking water scheme in the Seraj valley.
Agnihotri revealed that statewide infrastructure losses had already exceeded ₹300 crore, prompting urgent government action. The Jal Shakti and Public Works Departments have been granted special permission to bypass tendering norms and procure materials offline, including local purchases of pipes, to speed up repair and restoration work.
To strengthen on-ground coordination, two Chief Engineers and four Executive Engineers have been deployed in Seraj. In the Tandi-Saroa belt, where clean drinking water remains a major concern, officials have been instructed to ensure immediate restoration of supply.
During his visit to relief camps in Sharan and Bada villages, Agnihotri met with families displaced by the disaster and lauded their resilience. In Bada village alone, 42 homes have been declared in the red zone, with 16 houses completely destroyed. He confirmed that all Jal Shakti Department rest houses have been opened for temporary shelter of affected residents.
Among the people he met was Tanusha Thakur, a young survivor who was trapped under debris for five hours before being rescued. Agnihotri hailed her as an “inspiration for the daughters of Himachal”.
Concluding his visit, the Deputy CM reassured citizens that the state government, along with the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local administration, is fully mobilised and working around the clock to provide rescue, relief, and recovery in the flood-affected regions.
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