At least 320 dead in Himachal floods, losses over Rs 3,000 crore

Shimla: Five houses were damaged as landslides struck two villages in Shimla, further compounding the magnitude of the destruction in Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains-triggered disasters.

The state has suffered losses of over Rs 3,040 crore due to 91 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts and 93 major landslides it has witnessed during the ongoing monsoon season, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data showed.

Further, between June 20 and August 30, at least 320 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh, while 40 have gone missing, according to the SEOC.

Officials said thousands of pilgrims, who had embarked on the Manimahesh Yatra, are still stranded in Chamba district, with a majority of them being stuck in the Bharmour area. Efforts are afoot to send them home safely.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who took an aerial survey of the landslide-hit Bharmaur in Chamba and the flood-affected Indora and Fatehpur areas in Kangra district, said that pilgrims were safely evacuated and the police and administration had facilitated the journey of young people who wished to walk to Bharmaur.

The revenue and public works minister were at the spot. Directions have been given to open the roads at the earliest, but bad weather is creating an obstruction, he said, adding that pilgrims could be airlifted in small helicopters.

Human lives are comparatively fewer this year compared to the 2023 floods; however, the scale of destruction is much higher this year, he added.

About 6,000 Manimahesh Yatris have been evacuated and sent in buses and taxis to Pathankot and Nurpur, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena said in an official statement.

According to the latest reports, approximately 5,000 pilgrims are still in Bharmour, and only about 500 devotees are in Chamba, he said.

Rains in the last few days have led to the closure of 842 roads. This includes national highways such as the Old Hindustan Tibet road, the Mandi-Dharampur road and the Aut-Sainj road.

A police team led by Pandoh police post in-charge Anil Katoch had a narrow escape while patrolling the area, when a portion of the mountain slid down suddenly near Hanogi Mata temple along the Mandi-Kullu road.

In Manali town, the situation has still not improved. It has seen massive devastation in the last five days when chunks of land were washed away by the Beas river at several points. The bridge to the Old Manali area has also been swept away.

Water has entered several shops and houses in Old Manali, said the locals. Priya, another local, said drinking water schemes have been affected due to the flooding of the Manalsu drain in the town.

As many as 728 power supply transformers and 456 water supply schemes have also been disrupted, according to the SEOC.

Out of the 560 roads closed, up to 236 roads are closed in Chamba district, 198 in Mandi and 177 in Kullu, SEOC said.

Meanwhile, the local Met office has issued an 'orange alert' for heavy to very heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms in isolated places in Una, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts on Saturday. Same conditions are also expected on Sunday in these places except Mandi and Una.

In view of rain-related incidents such as landslides and road blockages, the police on Saturday urged people to remain calm and vigilant, not to spread rumours and cooperate with authorities.

In a statement, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Tewari said that satellite phones have been made available in Bharmour and other places so that stranded pilgrims can connect with their families. Police personnel are working continuously to clear the roads and ensure smooth traffic flow wherever possible, he said.

The state witnessed moderate to heavy rains in several places in the 24 hours from Friday evening. Bhattiyat in Chamba received 104.0 mm of rainfall, followed by Jogindernagar 86 mm, Rampur 75.5 mm, Dharamshala 72.8 mm, Shimla 62 mm, Nahan 60 mm, Palampur 6 mm, Murari Devi 58.6 mm, Sarahan 45.5 mm, Gohar 43 mm, Narkanda 42 mm, Shillaroo 41.4 mm and Kangra 40.8 mm.

Thunderstorms lashed Shimla, Kangra, Bhuntar, Jot, Murari Devi, Palampur and Sundernagar, the local Met centre said.