Cloudbursts struck 11 locations in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, causing widespread devastation. These incidents damaged 20 houses and 15 animal sheds.
Mandi: Himachal Pradesh is once again reeling from a severe natural disaster. Cloudbursts and incessant heavy rainfall have completely disrupted life in several parts of the state. In Mandi district, seven cloudbursts on Tuesday claimed 10 lives, while more than 30 people are still reported missing. Relief and rescue operations are ongoing, but the administration is facing significant challenges amid the worsening conditions.
406 roads are still blocked in the state, severing contact with many areas. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has assessed the damage to be over ₹500 crore and has issued instructions to expedite relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.
Maximum Devastation in Mandi
Cloudburst incidents have been reported in the Gohar, Karsog, Thunag, and Dharmpur areas of Mandi district. In the Syanj area, the water from the Jyuni Khad entered residential areas, washing away two houses and leaving nine people missing. The bodies of Devku Devi were recovered in the Dehra area and Uma Devi in Jogindernagar. NDRF and SDRF teams are searching for the remaining missing persons.
In the Bada Panchayat, a mother and son died after being buried under debris, while four people were rescued safely after a three-hour operation. In Parwara village, a mother, son, and daughter-in-law were swept away in a fast-flowing stream; the son's body was recovered, while a five-year-old girl was rescued by villagers. Several houses collapsed due to cloudbursts in the Bagsyad, Thunag, and Janjehli areas of Seraj. A school employee and 19 others, including their family, were swept away; four bodies have been recovered, and 15 are still missing.
Life Severely Affected
In the entire Mandi district, 24 houses and 12 animal sheds have been completely destroyed. More than 70 animals have died. Electricity, water, and communication services have been completely disrupted, especially in the Seraj area, where the situation is worse. Electricity production at the Larji and Dehar power houses has been shut down for 28 hours. The road network has also collapsed. Over 1000 vehicles were stranded near Jhalogi on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane due to debris, while the under-construction structure near the Bijni tunnel on the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane suffered severe damage from a landslide.
In Mandi city, the water level of the Beas River rose to 1.63 lakh cusecs, inundating low-lying areas and forcing people to be shifted to relief camps.
Trouble in Una, Solan, and Kangra as well
In Basal village of Una district, five migrant laborers were trapped in the Swan River while fishing; they were safely rescued by the police after a two-hour rescue operation. In Solan city, laborers were terrified after a hill collapsed on an under-construction building near Kotlanala, but no casualties were reported.
The Kalka-Shimla railway line was also affected. The movement of trains was disrupted for hours due to landslides between Solan and Salogara, which caused debris to fall on the railway track. Railway employees cleared the tracks by removing stones, after which trains were slowly dispatched.
Weather Department Warning
The weather department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in the state until July 3. Heavy rain is also predicted in several districts on July 4 and 5. There is a forecast of very heavy rainfall, especially in Kangra, Solan, Mandi, Una, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts. Above-normal rainfall is expected in July.
Government Preparations
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government stands with every disaster-affected family. He said that their priority is relief and rescue. 287 people have been rescued so far. Police, NDRF, and Home Guard personnel have been deployed to search for the missing people. Sukhu instructed the officials to make adequate arrangements for relief camps in the affected areas and to provide electricity and water to the people soon.
Deputy Commissioner Mandi, Apoorva Devgan, also continuously monitored the relief operations, visited the affected villages, and stated that efforts are being made to provide immediate assistance to every needy person.
