Monsoon toll in Himachal rises to 15 in 27 days, 135 roads remain blocked, restoration underway
Shimla, July 26
Fifteen people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Himachal Pradesh from June 30 to July 26, as the southwest monsoon continued to trigger landslides, flash floods and widespread disruption across the hill state, according to official data released by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority.
Official figures showed that landslides accounted for 14 of the 15 fatalities, including 13 deaths in Lahaul and Spiti district and one in Chamba district. One person died in a flash flood incident in Kangra district.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continued to affect normal life across several districts, although authorities reported some improvement in road connectivity and electricity restoration.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 135 roads remained blocked across the state as of Sunday evening, down slightly from 140 roads reported blocked on Saturday. Kullu district continued to be the worst affected with 35 road closures, followed by Shimla with 32 and Mandi with 27.
Power restoration teams also made progress during the day, bringing down the number of disrupted distribution transformers (DTRs) from 87 on Saturday to 44 by Sunday evening.
However, damage to drinking water infrastructure increased. A total of 38 water supply schemes remained disrupted across the state, compared with 27 a day earlier. Hamirpur reported the highest number of affected schemes at 19, followed closely by Shimla with 18.
District administrations, road maintenance agencies and disaster response teams remained engaged in clearing landslide debris, restoring essential services and monitoring vulnerable locations as intermittent rainfall continued across several parts of the state.
Authorities have advised residents and travellers to remain cautious, particularly in landslide-prone and flood-sensitive areas, as monsoon activity is expected to persist over the coming days.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Every year it's the same story - heavy rains cause massive destruction in Himachal and Uttarakhand. While it's good that power restoration is improving (down from 87 DTRs to 44), the fact that water supply schemes disruption actually increased from 27 to 38 is worrying. Are we doing enough for long-term disaster preparedness? 😔
Kudos to the district administrations and disaster response teams working tirelessly despite continuous rainfall. 135 roads blocked is no joke - our workers are risking their lives to clear debris. But seriously, why are we still building in landslide-prone zones? Need stricter regulations on construction in fragile Himalayan areas. 🇮🇳
Visiting Himachal next week - should I reschedule? This article says intermittent rainfall is continuing and 38 water supply schemes are disrupted. Safety is paramount, but I also don't want to cancel plans unnecessarily. Any locals here can advise on current conditions in Shimla or Manali? 🤔
15 lives lost in just 27 days is deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to the families. While it's reassuring that road closures are coming down from 140 to 135, the situation in Kullu (35 roads blocked) and Shimla (32 roads blocked) is alarming. Also, can someone explain why Hamirpur has 19 affected water schemes? Need better infrastructure planning. 🌧️
Living in Delhi, I often forget how tough life gets in hill states during monsoons. 135 roads blocked means people can't even go to hospitals or markets. And 38 water supply schemes disrupted... imagine not having
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