Rain Havoc in Himachal: 174 Roads Blocked, 755 Water Supply Schemes Disrupted, Over 600 Affected in Kangra Alone

Shimla, July 9:
Relentless rainfall across Himachal Pradesh has brought life to a standstill, with widespread disruption reported throughout the state. From Tuesday night into Wednesday, several areas received heavy downpours, including a strong one-hour spell in the capital, Shimla.

Landslides triggered by the rain have blocked 174 roads across the state, including a national highway. Mandi district remains the worst-hit, with 136 roads and one national highway currently inaccessible.

Water supply has been severely impacted as well, with 755 drinking water schemes disrupted statewide. Kangra district is the most affected, where 603 schemes are non-functional — including 466 in Dharamshala, 64 in Nurpur, and 73 in Dehra.

In Mandi, the situation remains critical. 137 water supply schemes are down, and 151 power transformers have failed, affecting electricity supply. Across Himachal, 162 transformers are out of service.

According to the Meteorological Department, Nahan in Sirmaur recorded the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours, with 70 mm. Other places like Nangal Dam, Daulatpur, Dehra Gopipur, Rohru, and Gohar also received substantial rainfall, accompanied in some areas by strong winds and thunderstorms.

The weather department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in isolated areas until July 15, with heightened alert especially for July 10, 13, 14, and 15. Events like landslides and flash floods are possible in the next 24 hours. Some relief is expected on July 11 and 12.

Since the beginning of this monsoon season, 85 people have lost their lives, 129 have been injured, and 35 remain missing. The rain has caused 165 houses to collapse completely, while 199 have been partially damaged. Additionally, 366 cowsheds and 27 shops have been destroyed. The loss of livestock includes 255 cattle and 10,000 poultry birds.

The estimated damage due to monsoon-related incidents has crossed ₹718 crore. The Jal Shakti Department has reported losses worth ₹398 crore, while the Public Works Department has suffered damages worth ₹311 crore.

Mandi continues to be the epicenter of the devastation. On the night of June 30, the district witnessed cloudbursts at 12 different locations. So far, 20 fatalities and 28 missing persons have been reported from the area.