Heavy rains flood several areas in Himachal's Una; roads blocked, infrastructure affected

Una/Shimla: Normal life was thrown out of gear as heavy rains throughout the night flooded several areas in Himachal's Una district.

Since Friday evening, Una received extremely heavy rainfall measuring 222.8 mm, leading to water accumulation on roads, in markets, and other areas, severely impacting daily life.

The Chandigarh-Dharamshala National Highway has also experienced flooding in places, with water entering some residences, officials said on Saturday.

Local drivers and shopkeepers faced considerable difficulties. Around 10 feet of water flooded homes behind the nearby Patanjali store, prompting residents to climb onto roofs to seek safety. This flood-like situation has resulted in significant losses for the industrial sector, residential neighbourhoods, and government offices, reports said.

Barnoh village was heavily inundated, with a father and his son, both migrant labourers, trapped near a brick kiln as water flooded the area after the intense rains on Friday night.

Other migrant workers were also stranded in various locations due to the flooding.

"Continuous rains over the last 12 hours have caused flooding and road blockages in many areas. In light of the situation, educational institutions have been closed until further notice to ensure the safety of students," Una District Magistrate Jatin Lal said.

The district magistrate also directed the heads of concerned institutions to ensure compliance with the orders. He further urged residents to call the District Disaster Management Control Cell toll-free number 1077 in case of any emergency and avoid approaching pits and riverbanks.

"The administration is working diligently to clear roads and address waterlogging issues. Instructions have been issued to concerned officials to provide immediate financial assistance to those affected," Lal stated.

Substantial damage has occurred to development projects as well as government and private properties in various locations, which is currently being assessed. The administrative staff is actively engaged in relief, rescue, restoration, and monitoring efforts.

While the Beas River and its tributaries are flooded, a section of the bridge over the river near Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district has developed cracks.

Additionally, the road link between Sujanpur Tira and Khairi near Sandhole has been completely severed due to high water levels in the river.

On Saturday, a total of 387 roads — including four national highways: Chandigarh-Manali (NH 21), Manali-Leh (NH 3), Aut-Luhri (NH 305), and Khab-Gramphu (NH 505) — were closed to vehicular traffic in Himachal Pradesh.

Of these 387 roads, a maximum of 187 roads have been closed in the disaster-hit Mandi district, followed by 69 in Kullu, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

Additionally, 747 power distribution transformers and 249 water supply schemes have been affected across the state.

Since the onset of monsoon in Himachal on June 20 till August 1, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,678 crore.

So far, 98 people have died and 36 have gone missing in rain-related incidents, while 1,526 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the state. The state witnessed 47 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 42 major landslides, officials said.