Shimla, 01 September (Kiran News): Continuous heavy rainfall has thrown life out of gear in Himachal Pradesh. The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain across several districts on 1 and 2 September. The past two days have seen relentless downpours, resulting in widespread landslides and house collapses. In Shimla district alone, four people have lost their lives in separate incidents, including a father and daughter. The rains have severely disrupted road, power, and water supply across the state.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, as of Monday morning, landslides and heavy rainfall have led to the closure of five national highways and 788 roads. The maximum disruptions were reported in Mandi (265 roads), Kullu (175), Sirmaur (136), and Solan (68). Power supply has been badly hit, with 2,174 transformers out of service, causing blackouts in many areas. Solan faced the most outages (899 transformers), followed by Kullu (457), Mandi (352), Una (267), and Lahaul-Spiti (146). Additionally, 365 drinking water schemes have been affected, with 212 of these in Kangra district alone.
In Shimla district, four deaths have been reported due to landslides. In Tehsil Junga’s Up-Mohal Jot, under Patwar Circle Dablu, a massive landslide killed Virendra Kumar (35) and his 10-year-old daughter, while his wife survived as she was outside at the time. In Chol village of Kotkhai, a 70-year-old woman, Kalawati, died after being buried under debris from her collapsed house. In Bawali village, under Badhal Panchayat in Jubbal tehsil, 23-year-old Kanishka, daughter of the late Amar Singh, died after being trapped under a collapsed wall.
A landslide in Dayar Moli village of Rohru subdivision has put three houses at risk. The administration has shifted ten family members of Kuldeep, Sandeep, Pradeep, and Sonfu Ram to safe locations. Two cowsheds were also buried, resulting in the death of two cows and a sheep. Rising water levels near Shikdi Khad have caused fear among locals, and an indoor stadium has been prepared as a shelter home as a precaution.
Conditions in Shimla city remain serious. The retaining wall of Portmore School collapsed, with a nearby tree threatening to damage transformers and residential buildings. In the Sunni area, the Satluj river’s water level has risen to touch the Thali bridge.
Due to heavy rain, all educational institutions in 11 districts, including Nichar subdivision in Kinnaur, have been ordered shut today.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for today and tomorrow, and a yellow alert for 3 September. Relief from the monsoon is expected from 4 to 7 September. From last night until Monday morning, Nangal Dam and RL BBMB received the highest rainfall at 220 mm, followed by Raipur Maidan (215 mm), Naina Devi (192 mm), Solan (187 mm), Nahan (177 mm), Kasauli (135 mm), Rohru (130 mm), and Shimla (115 mm).
So far this monsoon season, 320 people have lost their lives in the state. This includes deaths from 11 landslides, 9 flash floods, 17 cloudbursts, 33 drownings, and 38 from falling trees or rocks. In addition, 40 people are missing and 379 have been injured. A total of 4,098 houses have been damaged, of which 844 are completely destroyed. Furthermore, 471 shops and 3,710 cowsheds have also been buried under debris.
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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