Dharamshala, April 12 -- The Chamba-Bharmour National Highway was blocked on Saturday following a landslide near Batti Ki Hatti, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides. It occurred in the early hours of Saturday, when large debris from the hillside rolled onto the road. Following the road blockade, vehicles queued up on both sides of the highway, causing significant inconvenience to hundreds of commuters. With no alternative route available, many stranded commuters were compelled to take risky measures to cross the affected stretch. Several were seen crossing through the icy waters of the Ravi river, while others climbed uphill paths to reach the other side of the affected patch. Patients, women, and children were carried on shoulders through these perilous conditions. The landslide follows the recent wet spells that brought snowfall in the higher reaches and rainfall in several other parts of the hill state. Bharmour MLA Janak Raj, who visited the site, said, "Bharmour depends on a single road for connectivity. We have been demanding an alternative road linking Bharmour with other parts of the country. Whenever this road is blocked, life in Bharmour comes to a standstill." He also demanded the deployment of round-the-clock machinery at vulnerable points along the highway to prevent such prolonged disruptions. Officials said the stretch has become highly prone to landslides and frequently disrupts traffic movement. "The road clearance work began early Saturday morning. However, shooting stones were hampering the operation," an official said. Meanwhile, very light snow and rainfall was observed in the higher reaches of the state on Saturday. As the dry weather is expected to prevail in most parts of Himachal during the coming few days, the mercury is likely to go up across the state. Due to recent wet spells, many parts of the state observed below normal temperatures. The India meteorological department (IMD), Shimla, has predicted dry weather in plain and mid hill areas of the state on April 12, followed by dry weather across the state from April 13 to 15. According to the IMD, the minimum temperatures are likely to rise gradually by 2-5 degrees over many parts of the state during the next 4-5 days. Similarly, the maximum temperatures are also expected to rise gradually by 2-5 degrees over many parts of the state during the next 4-5 days. Later, a feeble Western Disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from April 15....