Shimla – Multiple cloudbursts across Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday triggered flash floods, damaging homes, bridges, and roads, and forcing evacuations in several districts. The incidents occurred amid an orange alert for heavy rainfall, with Bhimdwari and Nanti in Shrikhand, Pooh in Kinnaur, Mayad in Lahaul, and Tirthan Valley in Kullu among the worst-hit areas.
In Ganvi, two sheds were swept away, while six others were submerged in water following floods in Bhimdwari and Nanti. A bridge was damaged, and floodwaters entered the local police post. In Tirthan Valley, the Tilla and Dogra bridges in Banjar were destroyed, and Bagipul market was evacuated as Kurpan Khad overflowed. Five vehicles and four unoccupied cottages were washed away.
Mayad Valley in Lahaul saw Karpat village evacuated, with 22 families relocated to safety. Heavy floods also damaged land and property in Chingut and Udgose villages. The administration has provided interim relief of ₹10,000 to each affected family along with essential supplies.
In Pooh, Kinnaur, a cloudburst in Hojo Nala damaged the machinery of a company building the Rishi Dogri road for the ITBP camp. Five employees remain trapped, and rescue operations are in progress.
Statewide, the impact of the downpour has been severe — 323 roads, including two national highways, are blocked due to landslides and flooding. Seventy power transformers and 130 drinking water schemes have been disrupted, causing electricity outages and water shortages. In the Nanti area of Srikhand and Rampur sub-division, floodwaters from Kurpan and Ganvi Khad damaged another bridge and impacted the intake system of Greenko Company, prompting the evacuation of nearby houses.
In Majhalli village of Mashiyar Panchayat in Tirthan Valley, a cloudburst caused flooding in Phalachan ravine, triggering panic among residents.
Other districts have also been hit by heavy rains. In Kangra, continuous showers led to the cancellation of an IndiGo flight from Delhi due to poor visibility. Three kutcha houses were destroyed, while 16 others, 21 cattle sheds, and two kitchens sustained damage. In Chamba, rains damaged parts of 18 schools, a cattle shed’s security wall, and a kutcha house. Hamirpur reported damage to two pucca houses, seven kutcha houses, two huts, and four cattle sheds.
Despite the widespread destruction, no casualties have been reported from the cloudburst-hit areas. Relief and restoration efforts are underway, with authorities urging caution as more heavy rain is forecast in the coming days.
