Cloudbursts strike five locations amid heavy rainfall; roads, bridges and power projects washed away
Shimla: Cloudbursts at five separate locations in Kullu and Kangra districts wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, leaving two people dead, 11 missing and over 2,000 tourists stranded in the remote areas of Sainj Valley. Heavy rain also disrupted normal life in Mandi, Kangra, and other parts of the state.
Massive destruction was reported from Jiwanala in Sainj, Shilagarh in Gadsa, Snow Gallery near Manali, Hornagad in Banjar (Kullu), and Manuni Khad in Khaniyara (Dharamshala). Eight vehicles, 10 culverts, and a 1-megawatt power project in Jiwanala were washed away. In Sainj’s Raila Bihal, three people were swept away. Ten workers from an under-construction hydro project are feared missing after the Manuni Khad flood in Kangra.
More than 150 tourist vehicles and around 2,000 tourists are stranded in Shanshar, Shangarh, and Suchaihan panchayats of Sainj Valley due to road damage near Siund. In Lahaul, 25 tourists are also stuck. A temporary shop and four houses were damaged in Siund, while a jeep was washed away in Sainj market.
Schools, Bridges and Power Projects Affected; Rescue Operations Ongoing
The cloudburst in Hornagad (Banjar) swept away a small bridge and a vehicle on the Banjar-Bathahar road. Debris entered the premises of a local primary school, but timely action by residents saved the students. In Gadsa Valley, culverts and footbridges in Hurla Nallah, Pancha Nallah, and Manihar Nallah were destroyed. Flash floods were also reported in Brahmaganga Nallah, Grahan, Kuthi Kakdi Nallah (Manikaran), and Kotladhar in Jibhi.
Electricity and road connectivity remain severely disrupted. The state reported 171 blocked roads including the Aut-Banjar-Sainj NH-305, and 550 power transformers are currently non-functional. Flight operations were hit as well — two flights to Delhi and Shimla were cancelled from Gaggal airport, while there were no landings at Shimla and Kullu airports.
Rescue operations are underway with teams from SDRF, NDRF, and the district administrations in action. Kullu Additional Deputy Commissioner Ashwani Kumar confirmed that relief teams have been dispatched. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa said the flow in the ravines is unusually high and though cloudburst confirmation is pending, two bodies have been recovered so far. SDM teams are also present at the affected sites.
Heavy Rainfall Data and Forecast
Palampur received the highest rainfall at 145 mm, followed by Nahan (99 mm), Paonta Sahib (58 mm), Dharamshala (54 mm), Kangra (44 mm), Narkanda (40 mm), Kasauli (22 mm), Mandi (16 mm), and Shimla (14 mm).
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Thursday with a forecast of heavy rains at many places. A flood warning has also been issued for parts of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts. The intensity of rainfall is expected to peak on June 26 and 27, followed by scattered showers till July 2. Wednesday’s rains caused a drop of 4–5°C in the maximum temperature across the state.
