Heavy Rain Alert in Himachal Until August 20; Cloudbursts Cause Destruction in Shimla and Kullu

Shimla, August 14:
The monsoon fury continues unabated in Himachal Pradesh, with intense overnight rainfall and cloudbursts wreaking havoc in Shimla and Kullu districts. Floodwaters and debris from the mountains swept away bridges, houses, shops, and vehicles, forcing the evacuation of several homes.

The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall today in Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts, and a yellow alert from August 15 to 20.

Destruction in Rampur and Kotkhai (Shimla district)
Cloudbursts in 15–20 areas of Rampur sub-division triggered flash floods, sweeping away four bridges, two houses, five shops, seven sheds, and apple orchards. Ganvi emerged as the worst-hit area, where an ambulance and an HRTC bus were stranded, and three panchayats lost complete road connectivity. In Kotkhai, landslides in Khultu Nala and Koku Nala buried five to seven vehicles under debris.

Damage in Banjar and Nirmand (Kullu district)
In Bathahad area of Banjar valley, cloudbursts damaged multiple houses, washed away the Tilla and Dogra bridges, and swept away five vehicles. Four cottages were also destroyed. In Nirmand sub-division, the Kurpan Khad river is in spate. Authorities have evacuated Bagipul market and shifted residents from Tirthan Valley and nearby villages to safer locations.

Losses in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti
Cloudbursts in the Rishi Dogri valley (Kinnaur) and Mayad valley (Lahaul-Spiti) damaged bridges and public infrastructure. Around two dozen families from Karpat village were relocated to safety.

Schools and colleges shut in four districts
Due to heavy rain, all educational institutions in Una district remained closed today. Holidays were also declared in Banjar (Kullu), Gohar (Mandi), and Jubbal (Shimla).

395 roads closed; widespread power outages
Rain and landslides have blocked 395 roads—173 in Mandi, 70 in Kullu, 47 in Shimla, 25 in Kangra, 31 in Sirmaur, and 27 in Chamba. Power supply has been badly hit, with 1,593 transformers out of service, including 659 in Sirmaur alone. In addition, 178 water supply schemes have been disrupted.

Solan records highest rainfall overnight
According to the Meteorological Department, between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Kandaghāt (Solan district) received the highest rainfall at 100 mm, followed by Jatoun Barrage (87 mm), Una (85 mm), Shimla (69 mm), and Kufri (66 mm).

241 deaths and over ₹2,000 crore in losses this monsoon
Since the onset of the monsoon, 241 people have died, 36 are missing, and 326 have been injured. A total of 2,205 houses have been damaged—523 completely destroyed—along with 312 shops and 2,043 cowsheds. Mandi district alone accounts for 1,212 damaged houses.

As per government data, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses exceeding ₹2,031 crore so far, with the Public Works Department bearing ₹1,086 crore in damages and the Jal Shakti Department ₹691 crore.