Key Points

Speaking to reporters in Shimla after touring rain-hit areas of Chamba district, Pathania said, "The Chamba-Bharmour road has been badly damaged. Even if the weather remains clear, it will take around ten days to reconnect it. Chamba district has suffered losses of over Rs 1,100 crore due to the heavy rains."

Pathania noted that many people in the district have been rendered landless, making relief delivery a major challenge. He said he had spoken to Members of Parliament from the state to seek relaxations in laws and rules from the Centre to speed up assistance to the affected.

The Speaker said that the Manimahesh Yatra was severely disrupted, with about 15,000 pilgrims stranded in Bharmour at one point.

"We have evacuated around 10,000 pilgrims so far. Nearly 5,000 remain, many of whom are elderly or unwell. Once road connectivity is restored, they will be taken from Bharmour to Chamba and onwards to their homes," he said.

Pathania also warned that the IMD has forecast several more days of bad weather, which would hamper ongoing rescue operations. "Adverse weather is one of the biggest obstacles in our rescue work," he said.

He also confirmed that, including four deaths today, there have been 16 deaths reported in the Manimahesh yatra.

Meanwhile, due to heavy rainfall, the district administration of Shimla has decided to close all schools in the district on September 2, 2025. In line with this decision, the teachers of these schools will also conduct their classes online from home to ensure that the students' studies are not disrupted. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the current circumstances, as per the statement from the Deputy Commissioner, Shimla.

- ANI