Himachal monsoon fury: Over 120 roads blocked, 255 power transformers hit
Shimla, 10 August
Torrential rains continue to disrupt normal life across Himachal Pradesh. According to the latest data released by the State Emergency Operations Centre, 124 roads are blocked, and 255 distribution transformer regions are out of service.
The SEOC report, covering the monsoon situation through August 9, said that Mandi was the worst-affected district in terms of road blockages, with 51 roads closed, followed by Kullu with 39 and Shimla with 13.
Road disruptions were also reported in Chamba with seven roads blocked, Sirmaur with six, Kangra with five, Lahaul and Spiti with four and Una with three.
The power distribution network has also suffered extensive disruption, with 255 DTRs affected across the state. Mandi accounted for 245 of these outages, including 163 in Sundernagar and 63 in Mandi sub-divisions. Transformer disruptions were also reported from Kalpa in Kinnaur, Chopal in Shimla and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur, with four, three and three DTRs affected respectively.
As many as 17 water supply schemes also remain affected, including 12 in Shimla and five in Hamirpur.
The cumulative monsoon disaster report puts the total number of human deaths at 155. This includes 68 disaster-related fatalities and 87 deaths in road accidents.
Mandi recorded the highest number of disaster-related deaths at 14, followed by Kangra with 11, Chamba and Shimla with nine each, and Kullu with eight. The 68 disaster-related deaths were caused by incidents including landslides, falling trees and rocks, drowning, flash floods and fires.
Road accidents accounted for 87 additional deaths. Chamba recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities at 15, followed by Kullu and Shimla with 12 each and Kangra with 10.
The cumulative estimated loss to public departments, agriculture and private property has been pegged at Rs. 83,526.19 lakhs, or approximately Rs. 8,352.62 crores.
The Public Works Department suffered the largest share of the reported losses at Rs. 61,585.43 lakhs, while damage to the Jal Shakti Vibhag was estimated at Rs. 19,986.05 lakhs.
The monsoon has also damaged residential and commercial structures. As many as 213 houses were completely damaged and 620 partially damaged, while 256 kaccha and pucca huts and 22 shops were affected.
Disaster-related incidents also resulted in the deaths of 200 animals and damage to 160 animal sheds across the state.
Restoration operations are continuing in affected areas. Local administration teams and emergency services are working to clear blocked roads, restore electricity supply and repair drinking water infrastructure. Officials said that restoration work is being prioritised on key road links and essential public utilities in the worst-affected subdivisions.
— ANI
Reader Comments
My heart goes out to the people of Mandi—245 transformers out and 51 roads blocked is just too much. At a time like this, we need quick restoration, but also a proper plan to prevent such massive damage. The PWD alone suffered Rs 61,585 lakh in losses; imagine what that money could have done if used for preventive measures. Hoping for speedy recovery! 🥺
This is what happens when we ignore climate change. The monsoon fury is increasing every year, and hill states are bearing the brunt. While the state government is doing its best, the Centre also needs to step in with more funds and long-term solutions. Also, 87 deaths in road accidents—this shows how urgent it is to repair the roads quickly. Be safe, everyone!
It's hard to see this from thousands of miles away. I have family in Kullu and they tell me how scary it gets. The numbers are alarming—213 houses fully damaged, 200 animals dead, and so many families affected. I hope the administration gets the support it needs. Willing to contribute to relief efforts if there's a credible channel.
As someone from Shimla, this hits close to home. The water supply being cut off in 12 schemes is a huge problem. We need more proactive evacuation plans and better weather forecasting alerts. It's time we stop calling it a "natural disaster" and start calling it what it is—a lack of proper preparedness. But all credit to the emergency teams working tirelessly in this rain! 💪
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