Rain batters Himachal: Fresh alerts for Shimla, Mandi; Chandigarh-Manali highway submerged

Hindustan Times

12 hours ago

As flashfloods triggered by cloudburst continue to wreck havoc in Himachal Pradesh and its adjoining regions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a fresh warning of continued rainfall activity in Himachal Pradesh, with heavy rain expected in many parts of the state over the next few days. Heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in Mandi and Bilaspur districts on August 11 and 12.(PTI)
A Yellow Alert has been issued for Kangra, Una, and Sirmaur districts for heavy rainfall. Rainfall activity is expected to pick up again from the night of August 10 and continue through the morning of August 11.
Heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in Mandi and Bilaspur districts during this period as well.
Particularly, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi districts have been issued an Orange Alert for heavy rainfall on these days
Weather fury in Himachal Pradesh
The monsoon season has taken a deadly toll on the state. Since June 20, a total of 202 deaths have been recorded due to monsoon-related incidents. Of these, 108 people lost their lives due to rain, floods, and landslides, while 94 deaths occurred in road accidents, as per the latest official data.
The IMD also reported that rainfall in Himachal Pradesh during August so far is 35% above normal, with districts like Solan, Kullu, Kinnaur, Bilaspur, and Una recording almost double the average rainfall.
From June 1 to August 8, the state has received 13% more rainfall than the seasonal average. The highest rainfall has been recorded in Shimla district, followed by Mandi, where rainfall is about 65% above normal. Chamba, Una, Bilaspur, and Kangra districts have also recorded 40% more rainfall than usual.
Shimla, Mandi and Kangra receive heavy rainfall
Rain has been lashing the state, including capital Shimla, over the past 24 hours. According to IMD's regional center in Shimla, as of now, four districts are under Yellow Alert for today (August 8).
Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at the IMD Shimla Centre, said light rainfall was recorded at isolated places in Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Sirmaur districts in the past 24 hours.
Chandigarh-Manali highway inundated
The impact of rainfall could be seens in Chandigarh as well. Traffic was disrupted on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway after water unexpectedly entered a tunnel near Mandi on Thursday.
Videos shared online showed vehicles navigating cautiously through the partially flooded tunnel, prompting temporary traffic restrictions and a swift response from road maintenance teams.
Over 450 roads, power transformers, water schemes hit in Himachal
As per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) under the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Thursday, 452 roads, 861 power transformers (DTRs), and 244 water supply schemes remain disrupted across the state as of Wednesday evening due to heavy rainfall and associated calamities.
National Highways 305 and 5 are among the blocked routes, with Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla emerging as the worst-hit districts in terms of road blockages. In Kullu alone, 117 roads are blocked, while Mandi reported 108 disrupted water schemes and 228 damaged power transformers, among the highest in the state.