Landslides Triggered by Heavy Rain in Himachal; Trees Fall in Shimla, 3 National Highways and 395 Roads Closed

Shimla, August 12 – Heavy rainfall continues across Himachal Pradesh under an orange alert, with several parts of the state receiving widespread showers overnight. In some areas, the downpour is still ongoing. Continuous rain has triggered landslides, disrupting daily life. In Shimla, falling trees have damaged vehicles, while landslides have blocked three national highways and 395 other roads across the state. Additionally, 669 power transformers and 529 water supply schemes are non-functional.

The Meteorological Centre in Shimla has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall until August 14, followed by a yellow alert from August 15 to 18. People have been advised to stay away from rivers and streams and exercise caution in hilly and landslide-prone areas.

According to the Meteorological Department, Nagrota Surian in Kangra district recorded the highest rainfall last night at 180 mm. Other significant readings include Guler (161 mm), Ghamroor (111 mm), Nadaun (78 mm), Dehra Gopipur (76 mm), Jogindernagar (74 mm), Kangra (73 mm), Bharedi (70 mm), Palampur (69 mm), Sujanpur Tira (66 mm), Shillaru (54 mm), and Shimla (45 mm). Rivers and streams are in spate, and water levels in dams have risen.

The State Emergency Operation Centre reported that as of Tuesday morning, three national highways remain blocked due to landslides — NH-305 near Jaahed Khanag in Kullu district, NH-707 near Shillai in Sirmaur district, and NH-505 in Lahaul-Spiti. Mandi district has the highest number of blocked roads at 213, followed by Kullu (84), Chamba (38), Kangra (23), and Shimla (14).

A total of 669 power transformers have failed, leaving many areas without electricity — Chamba (203), Hamirpur (148), Lahaul-Spiti (139), and Solan (135) being the most affected. Heavy rains have also disrupted 529 drinking water supply schemes, with Kullu district worst hit (367 schemes), followed by Mandi (69) and Kangra (41).

Since the start of the monsoon season, rain-related incidents have claimed 229 lives, with 36 people missing and 323 injured. Fatalities include Mandi (44), Kangra (35), Chamba (26), Shimla (21), Kullu (18), Kinnaur and Hamirpur (16 each), Solan (15), Una (13), Bilaspur (10), Sirmaur (9), and Lahaul-Spiti (6).