Shimla – Himachal Pradesh is bracing for another spell of intense rainfall as the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rain in many parts of the state for the next four days. The fresh alert comes at a time when continuous downpours have already caused widespread disruption, with hundreds of roads blocked due to landslides and essential services severely hit.
The situation on the Mandi-Pandoh stretch of the Chandigarh–Manali National Highway is particularly alarming. In the Nine Mile area, the road has collapsed on one side over a stretch of about 100 metres, while debris and stones continue to fall from the hillside in the rain, making travel dangerous for both locals and tourists. Residents have accused the National Highways Authority of India and the construction company of poor planning, claiming that four-lane cutting in the area has weakened the hill, leading to frequent landslides.
As of 10:00 am on Friday, 397 roads were closed across the state. Power and water supply have also been badly affected, with 631 electricity transformers and 182 water schemes out of service. Mandi district remains the worst hit, where 226 roads, 250 transformers and 109 water schemes are disrupted. In Kullu district, 117 roads are blocked and 375 transformers are not functioning.
Since June 20, the monsoon has claimed 202 lives in Himachal Pradesh, injured 307 people and left 37 missing. Road accidents during this period have caused 94 deaths. Cloudbursts, landslides and floods have damaged 2,189 houses and shops, destroyed 1,772 cowsheds, and killed 1,604 domestic animals. The total estimated loss so far has reached Rs 1,95,251.23 lakh.
