Himachal Faces Renewed Risk of Heavy Rainfall: Orange Alert for August 10–11, Over 1,890 Homes Damaged So Far
Pictures of destruction caused by monsoon in Himachal
Shimla, August 7
After a brief pause in the intense downpours, heavy rainfall is once again forecast for Himachal Pradesh. On Thursday, the rains subsided across most parts of the state, offering residents temporary relief. Shimla even saw mild sunshine after several days. However, the break may be short-lived, as the weather is expected to worsen again with fresh monsoon activity on the horizon.
The Meteorological Department has issued warnings of heavy rainfall between August 8 and 13, including both Yellow and Orange Alerts for various days.
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August 8 and 9: Yellow alert for thunderstorms and heavy rain.
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August 10 and 11: Orange alert for very heavy rainfall in several districts.
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August 12 and 13: Yellow alert remains in effect.
According to the IMD’s forecast:
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On August 8, yellow alerts have been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur.
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On August 9, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur are expected to receive heavy rain and strong winds.
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On August 10, Orange alerts are in place for Una, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur, while Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur, and Bilaspur are under Yellow alert.
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On August 11, Orange alerts are again issued for Una, Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu, and Mandi, and Yellow alerts for Sirmaur, Chamba, and Hamirpur.
In the past 24 hours, Bharwain (Una) and Nalagarh (Solan) recorded the highest rainfall at 120 mm each.
Other rainfall figures include:
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Naina Devi (Bilaspur) – 90 mm
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Pachhad (Sirmaur) and RL BBMB (Bilaspur) – 70 mm
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Mehre (Hamirpur) and Kangra – 60 mm
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Dharamshala (Kangra) – 40 mm
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Nahan (Sirmaur), Kasauli (Solan), Dehra Gopipur (Kangra), and Bilaspur – 30 mm
Winds gusted up to 46 km/h in Kukumseri (Kinnaur) and 33 km/h in Kufri (Shimla).
Landslides and Infrastructure Impact
The continued rains have triggered a sharp rise in landslide incidents across the state. As of Thursday evening, two National Highways and 452 roads remain blocked:
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245 roads in Mandi,
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117 in Kullu,
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37 in Shimla,
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23 in Kangra.
National Highway 305 near Jahad-Khang and Ghiagi in Kullu, and NH-5 near Ribba Nala in Kinnaur, are among the major roads closed.
Additionally, 861 power transformers and 244 drinking water schemes are out of service:
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375 transformers in Kullu,
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228 in Mandi,
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210 in Solan,
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43 in Shimla.
Water supply has been affected across 109 schemes in Mandi and 120 in Kangra.
Loss of Life and Property
Since June 20, rain-related disasters have claimed 202 lives, with 37 people missing and 307 injured. The worst-hit district has been Mandi, with 42 fatalities, followed by:
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Kangra – 31,
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Shimla – 21,
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Kullu and Chamba – 18 each,
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Solan and Una – 13 each,
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Hamirpur and Kinnaur – 12 each,
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Bilaspur and Sirmaur – 8 each,
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Lahaul-Spiti – 5 deaths.
So far, 1,890 houses have been damaged—474 of them completely destroyed. Additionally, 299 shops and 1,772 cowsheds have also been damaged. Mandi alone has reported 1,124 damaged houses and 267 shops.
The total estimated damage across the state has reached ₹1,952 crore, with losses of:
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₹1,040 crore to the Public Works Department, and
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₹661 crore to the Jal Shakti Department.
Since the beginning of the monsoon season, the state has recorded:
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58 flash floods,
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30 cloudburst events, and
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51 landslides.
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