Himachal Pradesh: 93 dead, Rs 333 crore Loss in monsoon havoc

The monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have claimed 93 lives and injured 156 people this season, causing havoc with landslides and infrastructural damage. The downpour has prompted the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Shimla office to issue alerts, forecasting more adversity for the region.

National Highway-5, the main road linking Shimla to the Kinnaur district, was temporarily closed but reopened on Monday morning after a four-hour blockade due to a landslide at Nigulsari. This site had a significant landslide last September, highlighting recurring vulnerabilities in the region’s terrain.

According to the Department of Revenue, the death toll includes 19 lives lost in Kangra, 13 in Mandi, 11 in Solan, and 10 in Kullu. The property damage is substantial, with around 80 houses and 65 cowsheds reported damaged across the state.

Exacerbating the crisis, the Jal Shakti Department reported that 1,027 water supply schemes have been impacted, affecting water availability and agriculture, with over 405,725 hectares of crop area affected during this monsoon season.

With the monsoon arriving on June 27, the local meteorological office has continued to warn about potential flash floods in Kangra, Mandi, and Chamba. The forecasted heavy rainfall could inundate saturated soils and low-lying areas, posing additional risks of flash flooding.

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain in several districts until July 26. Light to moderate rains have soaked most of the state in the last 24 hours, with isolated places experiencing heavy showers. These conditions have caused minimum and maximum temperatures to stagnate across the state.

The rains’ impact is evident in the statistics from the state emergency operation centre, which pegs the losses at approximately Rs 333 crore since the start of the monsoon. The infrastructural damage includes 14 closed roads and disruptions to 31 transformers.

The IMD predicts heavy rainfall in 10 of the state’s 12 districts. Advisories warn of potential damage to plantations, crops, and kutcha houses due to strong winds and waterlogging.

As the state battles severe monsoon effects, local authorities and disaster management teams are on high alert, taking measures to mitigate damage and provide relief to affected populations. The repeated disruptions call for a reevaluation of preparedness and infrastructure resilience, especially in landslide-prone zones like Nigulsari.