Shimla – Last night’s torrential rains wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, causing landslides and disrupting traffic on more than 75 roads in the state. The most affected area is Mandi district, where numerous roads remain closed.
The Manali-Leh road faced severe disruptions as well. Approximately 7 km ahead of Jingjing Bar, the road was abruptly closed around midnight on Thursday due to floods caused by continuous glacier melt from the hills.
Shimla experienced intermittent rains from Thursday night to Saturday morning. It is also reported that intermittent rains lead to waterlogging in houses and cow sheds in Paonta Sahib, Una, Kangra, and several other areas. Poor drainage systems in Baddi turned some roads into ponds. In response, a flood alert has been issued for parts of Kangra, Sirmaur, and Shimla districts.
Rivers across Himachal Pradesh are swollen due to the heavy rains, with rising water levels in the Beas, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers, as well as many smaller streams. The administration has issued warnings to tourists and residents near riverbanks to avoid the areas due to the risk of flooding. Waterlogging has been reported in numerous parts of the state.
The MeT Department has forecasted an increase in monsoon activity’s intensity and distribution during this period. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur districts. The rain activity is predicted to decrease starting July 8.
