Heavy rains have caused widespread devastation in Himachal Pradesh, resulting in losses of ₹1852 crore so far. 613 roads are closed and 1738 houses have been affected. Schools and colleges have been closed in several districts.
Himachal Rain: Continuous torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh have severely affected public life. Heavy rainfall in several parts of the state over the past few days has led to landslides, floods, and extensive damage to infrastructure.
Schools and Colleges Closed, Alert Issued
In view of safety, schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centers have been closed in several districts of the state. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert until August 12. The administration has appealed to people to take precautions and avoid unnecessary travel.
Most Affected Districts
The most significant impact has been observed in Solan, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, and Sirmaur districts. Due to continuous rain in these areas, roads are closed, electricity and water supply are disrupted, and houses have been damaged.
Holidays in Educational Institutions in Chaibasa
Orders have been issued to keep all schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centers closed in Solan and Sirmaur districts. In addition, educational institutions have also been declared closed in Theog, Chaupal, Rampur, Sunni, Jubbal, Dodra-Kwar, and Kumarsen in Shimla district, Ani and Nirmand in Kullu, and Sundernagar in Mandi district.
Loss of ₹1852 Crore
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, the state has suffered a total loss of ₹1852 crore so far. This includes a loss of ₹971 crore to the Public Works Department and ₹633 crore to the Jal Shakti Department.
613 Roads Closed Due to Landslides
Due to landslides and heavy rains, 613 roads have been closed. Of these, the highest number of roads, 375, have been affected in Mandi district. 89 in Kullu, 38 in Sirmaur, 29 in Solan, 23 in Kangra, 22 in Shimla, and 18 in Chamba are blocked.
Heavy Rainfall Data
In the last 24 hours, the highest rainfall of 145 mm was recorded in Kasauli, Solan. Dharmpur recorded 122 mm, Gohar 120 mm, Melran 103 mm, Baggi 95 mm, Nagrota Surian 93 mm, Nainadevi 86 mm, Sundernagar 80 mm, Kangra 71 mm, and Bilaspur 70 mm.
Damage to 1738 Houses
1738 houses have been damaged in the state. Of these, 463 houses have been completely destroyed. In Mandi district alone, 1102 houses have been damaged, of which 387 have been completely destroyed. In addition, 295 shops and 1610 cowsheds have also been affected.
Impact on National Highways
Traffic on the Shimla-Chandigarh National Highway has been affected due to a landslide at Chakki Mod in Solan. NH-3 and NH-21 in Mandi district, NH-305 in Kullu, and NH-5 in Kinnaur have also been closed due to landslides and flash floods.
Electricity and Water Supply Disrupted
1491 transformers have failed in the state. 709 in Solan, 457 in Kullu and 301 in Mandi have been damaged. Also, 265 drinking water schemes have been affected, including 120 in Kangra and 86 in Mandi.
Incidents of Cloudbursts and Landslides
So far during the monsoon season, 55 incidents of cloudbursts, 28 incidents of flash floods, and 48 incidents of landslides have been recorded. The highest number of cloudbursts (16) and landslides (12) have occurred in Mandi district. 30 incidents of flash floods have occurred in Lahaul-Spiti. The administration and the state government have appealed to the people to follow the alerts issued by the Meteorological Department, avoid traveling in hilly areas, and contact the administration in case of emergency.
