Heavy and continuous rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has created a dire situation. The Beas River in the Kullu and Manali region is overflowing, its b currents threatening to sweep away everything in its path.
Shimla: This year's monsoon has wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh. Several districts of the state have been severely affected by the continuous rainfall. The Beas River in Kullu and Manali is overflowing, with water levels reaching above the danger mark. In the Vashisht area of Manali, the floods have completely destroyed two restaurants, three shops, and one house. The administration has issued an alert, urging people to move to safer locations.
Dire Situation in Kullu and Manali
In Manali, the bridge connecting Old Manali has been washed away due to incessant rains. A hotel in the Raison area is also under threat. A jeep and a truck have been swept away in the Beas River, but there have been no reports of casualties. Locals in the Tirthan Valley are in a state of panic due to landslides and floods. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravish stated that over the past 48 hours, more than 100 rural roads and several bridges have been washed away. Electricity transformers and water supply schemes of the Jal Shakti Department have also been affected.
In the Mandi district, the Beas River displayed its fierce form. The water reached the courtyard of the Panchvaktra Mahadev Temple, and entry to the temple premises has been restricted. Due to the continuous rise in the water level of the Pong Dam in the Kangra district, the BBMB administration has issued a new schedule. According to this, water will be released in a phased manner based on the water level.
- At 1390 feet: 80,000 cusecs
- At 1395 feet: 1,10,000 cusecs
- At 1399 feet: 1,70,000 cusecs
- At 1400 feet: Automatic free flow
Weather Department Alert
The Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh until September 1st.
- August 27: Yellow alert for Shimla and Mandi
- August 28: Yellow alert for Una and Kangra
- August 29: Orange alert for Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, and Mandi; Yellow alert for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Kangra
- August 30: Rain warning for all districts except Kinnaur; Orange alert for Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, and Shimla
- August 31: Possibility of heavy rainfall in most districts
- September 1: Yellow alert in the state
Road and Electricity Infrastructure Crippled
The road and electricity infrastructure of Himachal Pradesh has been severely affected due to the monsoon. In the past 24 hours, three National Highways and 677 roads have been closed. In the Mandi district, 342 roads are blocked, followed by Kullu with 131, Shimla with 45, Kangra with 67, Sirmaur with 36, Solan with 19, Bilaspur with 13, Hamirpur with 5, and Una with 18 roads blocked.
A total of 1413 transformers have been damaged in the state. Among these, the highest number of transformers have been damaged in Mandi with 1021, followed by Kullu with 402. 63 transformers in Solan, 49 in Hamirpur, and 29 in Shimla have been affected.
420 drinking water schemes are closed in the state. Among these, the highest number are in Kangra with 148, followed by Kullu with 88, Hamirpur with 78, Mandi with 62, and Shimla with 35 schemes affected. Since the beginning of the monsoon, 310 people have died in the state, 38 are missing, and 369 have been injured. The highest number of deaths, 51, have occurred in the Mandi district. So far, 3339 houses have been damaged, including 720 completely destroyed. In the Mandi district alone, 1506 houses have been damaged, with 494 completely destroyed. Throughout the state, 476 shops and 2979 animal sheds have been destroyed. In addition, 1846 domestic animals and 25,755 poultry birds have died.
