Cloudburst in Kullu, Rampur Ravaged: Two Bridges Swept Away in Ganvi, Shops and Police Post Damaged

Shimla, August 13: The monsoon’s fury continues to batter Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday, a cloudburst in the hills of Kullu district triggered a surge in the Ganvi stream in Rampur subdivision, near the Shimla border, wreaking havoc in the area. Flood-like conditions arose in the Nananti and Ganvi regions, sweeping away two bridges in Ganvi entirely. The Ganvi police post was engulfed by debris, and several local shops also sustained damage.

Authorities, citing safety concerns, have evacuated all houses along the stream’s banks. Residents in higher areas remain safe. A Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus and a 108 ambulance were stranded on the opposite side of the Ganvi stream. While no loss of life has been reported so far, panic has gripped the local population.

Over the past 24 hours, rainfall has eased in some areas, but the threat remains. The Meteorological Centre, Shimla, has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall tonight in all 10 districts, except Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. On August 14, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi will be under an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, while Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kullu, Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur will remain under a yellow alert. Yellow alerts for heavy rainfall have also been issued for several districts on August 15, 16, and 17.

Two National Highways and 323 Roads Closed
Due to heavy rain and landslides, two national highways—NH-305 (Jahad-Khanag in Kullu) and NH-505 (Lahaul-Spiti)—along with 323 other roads, remain blocked. These include 179 roads in Mandi, 25 in Kangra, 13 in Chamba, and 11 in Sirmaur. Power supply has been disrupted, with 70 transformers out of service, and 130 drinking water schemes have also been affected.

Monsoon Damage So Far
This monsoon season has claimed 241 lives, with 36 people missing and 326 injured. A total of 2,205 houses have been damaged—523 completely destroyed—along with 312 shops and 2,043 cowsheds. Mandi district alone has reported damage to 1,212 houses.

According to official figures, the state has incurred losses amounting to ₹2,031 crore so far, including ₹1,086 crore in the Public Works Department and ₹691 crore in the Jal Shakti Department. Since the onset of the rains, the state has recorded 57 landslides, 63 flash floods, and 31 cloudbursts.