CHANDIGARH: Heavy rainfall battered Himachal Pradesh, claiming the lives of a newlywed couple and disrupting connectivity across the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for ‘extreme heavy rainfall’ in Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts and advised people to avoid travel. Several parts of the state have been receiving heavy showers since Sunday night.
The newlywed couple was killed in Chamba after a boulder crashed onto their house while they were asleep.
Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, Mukesh Repaswal, said that a landslide hit two houses at Chari village of Chamba early in the morning.
“They had got married three months ago and were visiting the woman’s parental house at Chari when the incident occurred. The bodies have been recovered,” he said.
The heavy rainfall has also triggered landslides which have blocked the Chandigarh-Manali national highway at several points and cut off access to Kasauli, with over 401 roads shut across the state.
The highway has been blocked at several locations, including Dwada, Jhalogi, Kainchi Mod, and near Pandoh in Mandi district, as well as NH-305 near Banjar in Kullu district, bringing traffic to a standstill.
While the main route remains closed, an alternative route between Mandi and Kullu via Kamand and Kataula is currently open and being used to divert vehicles.
Rescue and road clearance teams have been deployed to restore connectivity, but ongoing rainfall continues to hamper the efforts.
As many as 401 roads across the state remain blocked due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, according to data released this evening by the State Emergency Operation Centre. Of these, 242 are in Mandi district, 55 in Kullu, 27 each in Shimla and Sirmaur, and 25 in Chamba. The report also noted disruptions to 682 electricity transformers and 151 water supply schemes.
In Sirmaur, National Highway (NH) 707 remains blocked near Uttari due to falling debris. Meanwhile, in Solan district, traffic movement was severely disrupted as multiple routes -- including Kotli-Dharampur, Dharampur-Subathu, Dharampur-Kasauli, Jandauri-Pratha-Nabon, Kunihar-Totu, Waknaghat-Mamlig, and Kasauli-Jangeshu -- were hit by landslides following continuous rainfall.
Massive traffic jams have been reported on these roads, forcing many travellers to take long detours or cancel their travel plans altogether.
Most rivers and rivulets across the state are also in spate, prompting the opening of floodgates at the Larji and Kol dams as a precautionary measure. In response to the rising water levels, the administrations in Mandi and Chamba have also ordered the closure of schools in several areas of the two districts.
Flash floods were reported in Churah sub-division of Chamba and Anni sub-division of Kullu following two cloudbursts. Meanwhile, a flood-like situation has emerged in several parts of Seraj in Mandi district, which had already been hit by flash floods on July 1.
Continuous rainfall has forced the closure of schools in several parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Thunag sub-division in Mandi, and Kumarsain, Theog, Rohru, Jubbal, and Chopal in Shimla district.
In Mandi, a vehicle was buried under a landslide near Thalot, while the Nakrod-Thalli bridge in Chamba district was washed away. In Shimla, the Jubbarhatti road was shut, leaving office-goers stranded for hours.
So far this monsoon season, the state has witnessed 34 flash floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 21 landslides, resulting in approximately Rs 1,235 crore in losses.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday spoke over the phone with the Deputy Commissioners of the affected districts to take stock of the situation caused by the ongoing spell of torrential rains.
In light of the prevailing weather conditions, he directed officials to remain on alert and take proactive steps to prevent any untoward incidents. He also urged the public to stay away from rivers and nullahs.
"People's safety is our foremost priority. I request everyone to avoid going near water bodies and to strictly follow all advisories issued by the district administration," he said.
Sukhu emphasised the importance of coordination among departments to ensure timely response in case of emergencies such as landslides, road blockages or flash floods. He directed that proper flow of essential services be ensured so that people do not face any inconvenience in their day to day activities.
The chief minister also expressed grief over the death of the newly married couple at Sutaah gram panchayat of Rajnagar in Chamba district.