CHANDIGARH: Three people have reportedly died, while 20 are feared to have been swept away in different incidents in Kullu and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains on Tuesday evening. Some of the other missing people have since been rescued.
In Kangra, flash floods caused by a cloudburst struck a rivulet near Khanyara village on Tuesday evening, sweeping away labourers working on the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project. Six labourers are missing, and three bodies have been recovered.
More than 170 workers were safely evacuated and sheltered by the local administration. Rescue operations are ongoing, with drones deployed. One worker remains unaccounted for in the nearby forests. A few labourers blamed illegal mining and unsafe shelter placement near the rivulet for the tragedy, but officials termed it a natural disaster.
Meanwhile, three people in Rehla Bihal in Kullu district, who were washed away in the deluge while attempting to retrieve valuables from their homes, are still missing. Search operations have been intensified to locate those missing since the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in both Kangra and Kullu districts.
Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa, said that two teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a team of Home Guards have been deployed at the site, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also joined the rescue efforts.
“Two dead bodies have been recovered and we are getting the headcount done to ascertain the number of people missing,” he said.
Bairwa added, “Six people are feared swept away by the floods while one person was seen fleeing to a nearby hill to save himself. His whereabouts are also not yet known. The rest have been rescued safely.”
Sources said that some of the missing people hail from Nurpur and Chamba areas of Himachal Pradesh, and others from Uttar Pradesh. A dedicated team has been sent to find the man who escaped into the hills during the floods.
Sources added that work on the project had been suspended due to the rains, and the workers were resting in temporary shelters near the site when floodwaters from the Manuni Khad and nearby drains diverted towards the labour colony, sweeping them away. All other workers associated with the project have been relocated to a safe area. As of Tuesday night, around 250–275 workers were employed at the site, and all have been provided temporary shelter at Ambedkar Bhawan in Khaniyara.
Demanding adequate compensation for the families of the deceased, BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, said that he received a call yesterday that the water level had surged and 15 to 20 people had been swept away.
“The sheds for labourers were near the drain, and they were not shifted despite knowing the weather conditions. Thus, it is negligence and an investigation should be initiated. The project site was one kilometre from his village,” he said.
Three cloudburst incidents were reported from Jeeva Nallah and Rehla Bihal in Sainj, and Shilagarh in the Gadsa area of Kullu district. Flash floods were also reported from Manali and Banjar in the district, and search operations are underway. A search is ongoing to find three people who were swept away while attempting to salvage their belongings from their homes in the Rehla Bihal area of Sainj.
Deputy Commissioner of Kullu, Torul S. Ravesh, said the NDRF has joined the rescue operations in Kullu. She added that while the monsoon is an annual feature that tourists can enjoy safely, they should avoid going to low-lying areas and riverbeds.
Banjar MLA Surinder Shauri, who visited the affected areas, said the main road is blocked in Hornagad and that electricity and water supply has been disrupted in the village. He directed the officials of the Revenue Department to provide relief to those affected by the floods.
“Search operations have been intensified to trace 10 people missing since the flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in Kangra and Kullu districts,” said an official.
Meanwhile, in Mandi district, the Beas river saw a sharp rise in water levels due to continuous rainfall. Drone visuals captured strong currents flowing over the weekend. However, with a decrease in rainfall over the last 24 hours, inflow into the river system has reduced, and the water level at Pandoh Dam is gradually coming down, providing some relief to residents and the administration.
BJP national president J.P. Nadda expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the workers who were swept away due to the sudden increase in water flow in Manuni Khad.
The meteorological department has issued a warning of light to moderate flash flood risk over the watersheds and surrounding areas of Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts for the next 24 hours, as the state is set to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated parts.