Shimla, September 4 (Kiran News): Continuous heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has triggered widespread landslides and road blockages, leaving normal life paralysed across the state. As of Thursday morning, six national highways and 1,286 roads remain shut, stranding vehicles and causing severe travel disruptions.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, the affected highways include NH-21 and NH-205 in Bilaspur, NH-05 in Kinnaur, NH-3 and NH-305 in Kullu, NH-505 in Lahaul-Spiti, and NH-03 in Mandi. Mandi has reported the highest number of road closures (293), followed by Kullu (225), Shimla (216), Chamba (204) and Kangra (53).
The downpour has also severely impacted electricity and water supply. A total of 2,809 transformers are reported damaged — with the highest in Kullu (1,096), followed by Shimla (405), Mandi (404), Sirmaur (307), Solan (304) and Chamba (219). Additionally, 1,081 water schemes have been disrupted, most notably in Shimla (349), Kangra (212) and Chamba (194).
The monsoon season has claimed 343 lives so far due to rain-related incidents, with 43 people missing and 398 injured. District-wise fatalities include 51 in Mandi, 50 in Kangra, 42 in Chamba, 36 in Shimla, 30 in Kullu, 28 in Kinnaur, 24 in Solan, 21 in Una, 18 each in Bilaspur and Sirmaur, 16 in Hamirpur, and nine in Lahaul-Spiti. Heavy losses have also been reported in livestock, with 1,908 animals and 25,755 poultry birds dead.
Property damage has been extensive, with 4,848 houses affected, including 975 completely destroyed. In addition, 491 shops and 4,244 cowsheds have collapsed. The state government has pegged preliminary losses to public property at ₹3,690 crore — including ₹2,252 crore to the Public Works Department, ₹1,147 crore to the Jal Shakti Department, and ₹139 crore to the Energy Department. Since the start of the season, Himachal has recorded 127 landslides, 95 flash floods and 45 cloudburst incidents.
The Meteorological Department reported the heaviest rainfall at Dharampur (74 mm) between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, followed by Karsoag (69 mm), Kasauli (67 mm), Kandaghat (59 mm), Naina Devi (58 mm), Bhuntar (55 mm), Bilaspur (50 mm), Sarahan (47 mm), Shimla (47 mm) and Kahu (45 mm).
A yellow alert has been issued for thunderstorms, rainfall and lightning in parts of the state for today and tomorrow. However, the monsoon is expected to weaken from September 6, offering some relief next week.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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