Thursday, 14 August 2025
Thursday, 14 August 2025
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday continued to grapple with widespread destruction caused by relentless rain, cloudbursts and flash floods, with 396 roads blocked, panchayats cut off, houses damaged, vehicles swept away and power and water supply disrupted across multiple districts.
According to officials, no loss of life has been reported in the fresh spell of heavy rain, which battered Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts on Wednesday evening. However, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 1,593 power supply transformers and 178 water supply schemes are currently disrupted, alongside road closures that include NH-305 (Aut–Sainj).
The SEOC said 173 roads are blocked in Mandi district and 71 in Kullu, while damage has been reported from several other districts. Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the state has incurred losses worth ₹2,031 crore, suffered 126 rain-related deaths, recorded 36 people missing, and endured 63 flash floods, 31 cloudbursts and 57 major landslides.
The latest damage reports include cloudbursts in Shrikhand hill (Nirmand subdivision) and Bathadh hill (Tirthan valley, Banjar subdivision) in Kullu district, and Nanti in Shimla’s Rampur area. The flooding of the Kurpan ravine prompted the immediate evacuation of Bagipul market. “Some cottages have been damaged and vehicles washed away, but no loss of life has been reported so far,” Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Raveesh told PTI.
In Shimla district, road connectivity to Ganvi, Kiao, Koot, Kinfi, Kutru, Suru, Roopni, Khanidhar and Kheuncha — spanning three gram panchayats — has been cut off. Officials said sheds, houses and shops belonging to 26 people in the Ganvi area have been damaged, while a police post and an electricity department store have also been affected. Cars have been buried under debris at several locations.
The road to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla has been blocked by a landslide and uprooted trees, with reports of similar incidents from other parts of the city. Schools in Jubbal sub-division have been shut as a precaution against rain and landslides.
In Lahaul and Spiti district, Karpat, Changut and Udgos Nala in the Mayad valley were hit by flash floods, damaging bridges and forcing residents to move to safer ground.
Meanwhile, the Army said four civilians — including one injured — were rescued in Kinnaur district after flash floods struck the higher reaches of Rishi Dogri valley on Wednesday evening, inundating a bridge across the Sutlej river near a CPWD road construction site towards Gangthang Bralam.
An Army statement said the rescue was launched after an urgent request from the Kinnaur Superintendent of Police. A Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column battled darkness, strong currents and unstable terrain to reach the stranded group. The team used floodlights to guide them to safety and evacuated the injured to the Regional Hospital in Reckong Peo.
The Army added that essential items such as food and coconut water were ferried to the stranded group using the Logistics Drone High Altitude (LDHA) system before they were moved to the Army camp in Pooh. Plans are in place to return them to the home bank once water levels recede.
Rainfall data since Wednesday night showed Kandaghat receiving the highest at 100 mm, followed by Jatton Barrage (87 mm), Una (85.4 mm), Solan (81.4 mm), Olinda (76 mm), Shillaroo (73 mm), Shimla (69 mm), Kufri (66 mm), Jubbarhatti (65.2 mm), Kasauli (62 mm), Kothi (61.2 mm), Murrai Devi (51.8 mm) and Dharampur (50.2 mm).
The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain at isolated places in the state till August 20.
(With inputs from PTI)
