Heavy Rain Expected in Himachal for a Week; Landslides Block 3 National Highways and 397 Roads

Shimla, 18 August (Kiran News): There is no immediate relief in sight from the active monsoon in Himachal Pradesh. The Shimla Meteorological Centre has issued a warning of heavy rain in the state for the next week, with a yellow alert in place till 24 August. From 18 to 20 August, parts of the state are likely to experience thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, while strong winds are expected on 21 August. Another round of heavy rainfall is forecast from 22 to 24 August under a renewed yellow alert.

Rainfall Disrupts Normal Life

Continuous rain has caused significant disruption to daily life in the state. On Monday, all educational institutions and anganwadi centres were declared closed by respective SDMs in Paonta Sahib (Sirmaur), Ani (Kullu), and Mandi Sadar subdivisions. Sirmaur’s Dhaula Kuan recorded the highest rainfall last night at 113 mm, while Jot and Melran recorded 70 mm each, Palampur 58 mm, and Jatoun Weirage 49 mm.

3 National Highways, 397 Roads Blocked Across the State

Heavy rainfall and landslides have severely impacted transportation. As of Monday morning, the State Emergency Operation Centre reported that three national highways and 397 roads were blocked. Mandi district alone has 193 closed roads, Kullu 85, Chamba 29, Kangra 27, Sirmaur 22, and Shimla 21. NH-305 in Kullu, NH-5 in Kinnaur, and NH-21 in Mandi are all completely disrupted.

Meanwhile, the Shimla–Mandi road has suffered serious damage due to rapid flow from the Sutlej river, with the road width reduced to just 1.5 metres at RD 51/555, making vehicle movement unsafe. This stretch from 51/000 to 52/000 is closed for all vehicles until further orders. The alternative Thali Bridge route has also been damaged, leaving no alternate road available at present.

Power and Water Supply Disrupted

Heavy rainfall has badly affected electricity and water supply across Himachal. As many as 883 transformers are down statewide, with 543 out in Kullu and 303 in Mandi. Additionally, 122 drinking water schemes are impacted, including 44 in Mandi and 41 in Kangra.

Monsoon Toll and Damage So Far

This monsoon season, 263 people have lost their lives in the state, 37 are missing, and 332 have been injured. Mandi reported the highest deaths at 47, followed by Kangra (41), Chamba (31), Shimla (26), Kinnaur (24), and Kullu (22). A total of 2,456 houses have been damaged, with 581 completely destroyed. The state has also lost 361 shops and 2,201 cattle sheds; Mandi district alone lost 1,296 houses, 287 shops, and 1,219 cattle sheds.

Landslides and rainfall have killed 1,626 cattle and 25,755 poultry birds so far. The estimated loss to the state stands at Rs 2,173 crore, with the Public Works Department suffering Rs 1,216 crore and the Jal Shakti Department Rs 697 crore in damages.

In Kullu district, the Aut–Larji–Sainj road is blocked near Pagal Nala due to a major landslide, cutting off 15 panchayats. The road closure is causing significant trouble for vegetable market vehicles.

In Bilaspur’s Shri Naina Devi, a building collapsed at the old bus stand chowk due to rain, causing losses worth lakhs of rupees.