CM Sukhu Conducts Aerial Survey of Flood-Hit Mandi and Kullu; IAF Rescues 524 Manimahesh Pilgrims

Officials said Indian Air Force helicopters on Friday evacuated 524 pilgrims stranded along the Manimahesh route and also airlifted three bodies.

Since last month’s heavy rains, a large number of pilgrims have been stranded in various parts of Chamba district, especially in Bharmour, where multiple landslides and flash floods have severed road links.

“Today, 524 passengers were airlifted from Bharmour in 12 sorties of the Air Force’s Chinook helicopters. Three bodies were also brought from Bharmour to Chamba,” a statement said.

It added that a total of 1,166 pilgrims have so far been airlifted from Bharmour to Chamba since Thursday.

As per government figures, 17 pilgrims have died since the annual Manimahesh Yatra began on August 15. The sacred Manimahesh Lake lies at an altitude of 13,000 feet in the foothills of the Kailash peak.

Since August, Himachal Pradesh has been reeling under heavy rains, landslides, and flash floods across several districts.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Mandi and Kullu and interacted with affected families. He said the state has prepared a ₹3,000-crore relief and reconstruction plan and will seek assistance from the World Bank.

The CM inspected damaged properties in Vashisht Chowk, Manali, Bahang, and Old Manali, and also visited the landslide-hit Akhara Bazaar in Kullu, where house collapses had led to fatalities.

In Naina Devi constituency, 14 families were evacuated from Banali village after cracks appeared in their homes following a landslide on Wednesday.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 1,091 roads remain blocked: 276 in Mandi, 226 in Kullu, 201 in Shimla, and 166 in Chamba district.

Key highways are also shut, including National Highway-3 (Mandi–Dharampur), NH-5 (Old Hindustan–Tibet Road), NH-305 (Aut–Sainj), and NH-505 (Khab to Gramphu).

Train services on the Shimla–Kalka railway line were suspended until Friday due to landslides along the route.

Since Thursday evening, Baggi in Mandi district has recorded the state’s highest rainfall at 61.3 mm, followed by Dhaula Kuan (24.5 mm), Karsog (24.2 mm), Bhuntar (16 mm), Jot (14.2 mm), Gohar, Rampur, and Manali (13 mm each), Naina Devi (12.8 mm), and Jogindernagar (10 mm).

The local weather office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Una and Sirmaur districts on Monday, and in Bilaspur, Kangra, and Solan on Tuesday.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, the state has witnessed 95 flash floods, 45 cloudbursts, and 133 major landslides.

At least 360 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents and road accidents, while 47 remain missing.

The SEOC reported on Friday evening that 2,838 power transformers and 509 water supply schemes across the state have also been disrupted.

According to official data, the state’s cumulative monsoon losses so far stand at ₹3,979 crore.