- विज्ञापन -
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh is facing severe disruptions due to ongoing rains, with a total of 249 roads closed for vehicular movement, the majority—207—located in the landslide-affected Mandi district, officials reported on Saturday.
One major route, the Mandi–Dharampur via Kotli stretch of National Highway 3, has been shut for heavy vehicles following heavy rainfall. Additionally, the Mandi-Kullu segment of the Chandigarh-Manali national highway was closed for about 10 hours late Friday night after a landslide at Kainchi Mor near Pandoh dam, causing vehicles to be diverted along an alternate route via Katola-Kamand. Traffic was resumed after debris and stones were cleared from the hillside.
The monsoon has inflicted damages estimated at around ₹751 crore since it began on June 20. The State Emergency Operations Centre reported widespread disruptions, with around 463 power transformers and 781 water schemes affected.
Heavy rains have battered various parts of Himachal, with Murari Devi recording 126 mm of rainfall since Friday evening, along with significant precipitation at other locations such as Pandoh (79 mm), Slapper (67.7 mm), Kothi (60.4 mm), and Mandi (53.2 mm). Thunderstorms and gusty winds gusting between 39 to 48 km/h have been reported in Sundernagar, Murari Devi, Bhuntar, and Kangra, impacting Neri, Seobagh, and Kukumseri.
The weather department has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for heavy rainfall at isolated spots across four to ten districts until July 18. Since the start of the monsoon, the state has suffered 92 deaths—56 from rain-related incidents and 36 in road accidents—with 172 injuries and 33 persons still missing.
Search and rescue operations continue for 27 individuals washed away during a series of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides caused by heavy rains on June 30 and July 1 in Mandi, which resulted in 15 fatalities. Overall, Himachal has received 26% more rain than usual, and reports indicate 31 flash floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 17 landslides since the monsoon’s arrival.
