Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Himachal: 4 Dead, 16 Missing; 406 Roads Blocked, 1,515 Transformers Down

Shimla, July 1:
Relentless monsoon rains have thrown life out of gear across Himachal Pradesh. Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have become increasingly frequent, disrupting roads, power, and water supply in several districts. While the administration is actively engaged in relief and restoration efforts, the India Meteorological Department’s forecast of continued heavy rain until July 7 has raised further alarm.

According to the latest report from the State Emergency Operations Centre, a total of 406 roads, 1,515 power transformers, and 171 drinking water supply schemes have been affected across the state. Mandi district has been the worst hit, with 248 roads closed and 994 transformers out of service. Areas such as Karsog, Thunag, Gohar, and Dharampur are facing especially difficult conditions.

In Shimla district, landslides have blocked 32 roads in Kotkhai, Chopal, and Chirgaon, and disrupted 103 water supply schemes and 45 transformers. In Sirmaur, the regions of Rajgarh, Sangrah, and Paonta have seen 21 road closures, and 350 transformers are reported to be down in Rajgarh alone.

Other districts are also facing severe disruptions:

• Kangra: 55 roads and 39 water schemes affected

• Kullu: 37 roads, 52 transformers impacted

• Chamba (Bhatiyat and Tissa divisions): damage to roads, transformers, and water supply

• Una: 8 roads blocked

• Solan (Arki): 2 roads and 6 transformers down

• Lahaul-Spiti: 5 transformers non-functional

The past 24 hours have seen the heaviest rainfall of the season so far. Mandi’s Sandhol recorded 220 mm, followed by Pandoh (210 mm), Bijahi (200 mm), Karsog (160 mm), and Palampur and Chopal (140 mm) each.
Tragically, cloudbursts in Mandi district have claimed 4 lives, and 16 people remain missing.

The Meteorological Department has issued weather alerts for July 2–7:

• Orange Alert on July 2 for Kangra, Solan, and Sirmaur (very heavy rain)

• Yellow Alert for Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Una

• Yellow alerts continue on July 3 and 4

• Orange Alert from July 5 to 7, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall and lightning across several areas

The state government has urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and strictly adhere to weather advisories. Relief and restoration efforts have been intensified across all districts to restore essential services as quickly as possible.