Heavy Rain Alert in Himachal Pradesh Until July 17; Orange Alert Issued for Kangra and Sirmaur

Shimla, July 13:
Himachal Pradesh is once again bracing for a fresh spell of heavy rain. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shimla, has issued alerts forecasting intense rainfall in various parts of the state from July 14 to 17. On Sunday afternoon, heavy rain lashed Shimla and nearby areas, while most parts of the state remained under cloudy skies.

An orange alert has been issued for Kangra and Sirmaur districts for July 14, warning of very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, yellow alerts have been declared for Mandi, Shimla, and Solan districts.

The forecast also includes:

• July 15: Yellow alert for Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur.

• July 16: Yellow alert for all districts except Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur.

• July 17: Yellow alert for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Sirmaur.

• July 18–19: Light to moderate rain likely, but no formal weather warnings have been issued for these dates.

In the past 24 hours, the highest recorded rainfall was in Jot (Chamba) at 30 mm, followed by Kufri (Shimla) at 20 mm, while Shimla, Chopal, Kandaghat, Paonta, Solan, and Narkanda each received about 10 mm.

Landslides Disrupt Connectivity: 227 Roads Closed, 787 Water Schemes Affected

Landslides across the state continue to disrupt daily life. As of Sunday, 227 roads remain blocked, with Mandi being the worst-hit district where 172 roads are impassable—including 93 roads alone in the Seraj subdivision.

Water and electricity supply has also been severely affected:

• 76 power transformers are down.

• 787 water supply schemes are disrupted.

• In Mandi, 68 transformers and 175 water schemes are affected.

• In Kangra, 612 water schemes have been hit, and in Hamirpur, 166 transformers are non-functional.

Monsoon Toll So Far: 95 Dead, 33 Missing

Since the onset of the monsoon, 95 people have lost their lives, 33 are missing, and 175 have been injured in rain-related incidents across the state. The district-wise death toll includes:

• Mandi: 21 deaths

• Kangra: 14

• Kullu: 10

• Chamba: 9

• Hamirpur & Bilaspur: 7 each

Additionally:

• 1,007 houses have been either partially or completely damaged.

• 185 shops and 785 cattle sheds have been destroyed.

• Mandi again leads with the most damage: 809 homes, 163 shops, and 638 cattle sheds impacted.

Losses to Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

Natural disasters have also taken a toll on the farming and livestock sectors:

• 21,500 poultry birds and 953 other livestock have died so far.

• Since June 20, the state has witnessed 22 cloudbursts, 31 flash floods, and 18 major landslides.

The estimated damage to public infrastructure now exceeds ₹751 crore, with:

• ₹408 crore loss to the Jal Shakti Department

• ₹327 crore to the Public Works Department

Authorities have advised residents and travelers to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel in vulnerable regions during this period of unstable weather.