Cut off by road four months after flood fury, Malana to get ropeway for goods’ supply

Without road connectivity for about four months, the remote Malana village in Kullu district is set to get a ropeway link, the installation of which is underway, to transport food supplies and goods.
A cloudburst back in July-August triggered flash floods that wreaked havoc in the area, but life has still not returned to normal. The residents of the village remain cut off by road. The cloudburst on July 31 affected the Malana power project and the crucial road linking the village to the rest of Kullu.
District administration officials said the main road, which was destroyed by the cloudbursts on July 31, may take another year to restore. However, it is currently being used by pedestrians.
Kullu sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Vikas Shukla said the ropeway installation is in the final stages. “We have already completed the stage 1 of the ropeway which is around 1,200 m whereas the work on the stage 2 (another 1,600 m) is nearing completion and we expect it to be done in a week or two. It will only be for the transportation of the goods,” he said.
The administration is also working to establish a bridle path for the residents of Malana village.
“For the bridle path, the forest department has been asked to prepare the estimates and start working on it. It will be completed before the main road to the village is restored. E-rickshaws and snow scooters can use this path to reach the village,” the SDM added.
The disaster left the road leading to the village damaged and locals constructed a makeshift wooden bridge. With the collective efforts of the locals, a helipad was constructed in the village for the delivery of essential supplies, but two attempts to land a chopper failed over clearance issues. Earlier, the administration had engaged the labourers to supply the essentials to the village.
Notably, the electricity in the village was finally restored after 42 days in September.
Ramji Thakur, Malana panchayat deputy sarpanch, meanwhile, said, “The ropeway is being established only for the essential food and supply for goods to the village but we do not know when the road connectivity will be restored. Without road connectivity, the village residents have been facing challenges.We have to take our patients on shoulders to reach the nearby hospital.”
“As the winter is already setting in, we have apprehensions that our problems will increase. We fear that even the ropeway may also get disrupted due to snowfall,” he added.
Thakur said the residents who buy essentials from the local shops in the village are also getting them at higher rates.