SHIMLA – Himachal Pradesh is still being hit hard by the monsoon rains, which are causing widespread problems and making people more vigilant. As of Monday, one national highway and 316 other roads were blocked to cars, and additional rain is expected in the next few days.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said that Mandi, with 181 highways closed, and Kullu, with 85 routes shut, are the worst-hit areas. Landslides and other rain-related events closed many key roads, including the Aut-Sainj road, which is part of National Highway 305. A heavy fog blanketed Shimla, the capital of the state, making it hard to see more than a few meters.
The weather office in the area has put out an Orange warning for severe to very heavy rain in a number of regions. The alert is in place for Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur on Tuesday; Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Sirmaur on Wednesday; and Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur on Thursday.
There has been a lot of rain all around the state. Since Sunday night, Ghaghas village in the Bilaspur district has had 61 mm of rain. Bilaspur has gotten 50.2 mm, and Dharamshala has gotten 30.8 mm. Shimla got 27.2 mm of rain, and other places like Sarahan, Murari Devi, and Jubbarhatti also got a lot of rain.
The monsoon season, which started on June 20, is still continuing on and has caused a lot of damage. The SEOC said that 119 people have perished so far because of the rain, and 36 are still missing. The total damage to the state’s infrastructure is significant, with losses estimated at ₹2,007 crore. Himachal Pradesh has had 58 flash floods, 30 cloudbursts, and 54 big landslides since the start of the monsoon.
Essential services have also been badly disrupted, with 79 power transformers and 491 water delivery facilities across the state being damaged. The meteorological service said that the state has gotten 509.5 mm of rain from June 1 to August 11, which is 10% more than the typical amount of 463.5 mm. The blocked roads and affected services are being worked on by the authorities, but the heavy rain that keeps falling is making it hard for them to do so.