
Death toll due to rains in Himachal since mid-June reaches 229
Last Updated: August 11, 2025, 23:15 IST
Representational image (Image: News18)
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 11 (ANI): The monsoon season has battered Himachal Pradesh, leaving 229 people dead, including 119 in rain-related incidents and 110 in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).From June 20 to August 11, the state recorded Rs 2,00,741.57 lakh (over Rs 2,007 crore) in cumulative losses to human life, public and private property, agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and infrastructure. The toll on animals includes 1,611 cattle deaths and 25,755 poultry birds lost.SDMA reported that the monsoon has severely disrupted basic infrastructure across districts; meanwhile, PWD roads worth Rs 1,07,181.80 lakh were damaged. Jal Shakti water schemes hit: Rs 68,299.78 lakh and power supply infrastructure worth Rs 13,946.69 lakh got damaged. Additional damage was reported to health, education, rural and urban development, and animal husbandry departments, totaling thousands of lakhs.Housing losses are significant, with 916 houses fully damaged and 27,366 partially damaged, along with 627 cow sheds and 951 labour sheds/huts destroyed.Kangra reported the highest number of rain-related deaths at 26, followed by Mandi (23), Chamba (9), Kullu (10), Kinnaur (8), Lahaul & Spiti (5), Shimla (6), Bilaspur (7), Una (7), Hamirpur (13), Sirmaur (2), and Solan (3).Mandi topped this category with 21 fatalities, followed by Chamba (17), Shimla (15), Kangra (9), Kinnaur (8), Kullu (8), Solan (12), Hamirpur (3), Bilaspur (3), Sirmaur (7), Una (6), and Lahaul & Spiti (1).Authorities say restoration work is ongoing, but repeated landslides, road blockages, and continued heavy rainfall are slowing progress. The SDMA has warned of heightened risks in vulnerable zones and urged the public to follow safety advisories. (ANI) view comments News agency-feeds Death toll due to rains in Himachal since mid-June reaches 229 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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The Print
8 hours ago
- The Print
A ‘blast-like sound', then came the deluge. Uttarkashi's Dharali grapples with trail of devastation
'We were eating lunch when the flood hit,' said 38-year-old Dharali resident Suresh Panwar. 'We ran to a higher point and saw the market being submerged. Our house got hit in the second wave.' As National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army personnel carry out search and rescue operations—sifting through rocks, boulders and chunks of earth—villagers are still in a state of shock. Some lost family members, others homes and livelihoods. Dharali : From Mukhawa, the village on the mountain side opposite Dharali, a clear view of destruction the flash flood brought is laid bare. Dharali's entire market area is submerged, not a single structure in sight. A two-storey house has been dragged to the edges of the Bhagirathi riverbank, only part of its second floor and roof jutting out of the debris. The viral video showing the flash flood consuming everything in its path was just the beginning. After the first major outburst, the deluge returned in waves. Panwar told ThePrint he had vegetable patches and apple orchards that were destroyed in the flash flood. Most of the fields were downhill, near the banks of the river. Now, only a few apple trees remain, his only source of income. 'The durability and quality of the vegetables we grow here is very good. They don't spoil easily. We grow potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, peas and rajma (kidney beans),' he said, adding that the damage to his vegetable patches is in excess of Rs 5 lakh. This part of Uttarkashi is famous for its Red Royal variety of apples. Panwar has decided to abandon the two-storey wood and cement house his grandfather built, now inundated with silt and debris. Although his family was evacuated by helicopter to Matli a day after the floods, he stayed back to gather what was left of their belongings. 'If another flood comes here, we won't be saved,' he said, adding that the village was struck by floods in 2013, 2017 and now in 2025. 'But at the time, it didn't do much damage. Now 50-60 people have lost their lives in the market area alone.' Panwar pointed to an area right next to his house where his uncle lived. The patch of land is now covered in silt and debris, showing no signs of the house that once stood there. Referring to his cousin, Panwar told ThePrint that he 'had gone to the market to get cooking supplies; they just recovered his body'. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Deputy Inspector General Parminder Singh had told ThePrint earlier that the flash flood happened at about 1:30 pm on 5 August and personnel from ITBP reached Dharali by 4:30 pm the same day. In Pictures: A trail of debris, loss, feeble prayers—Scenes from Dharali, a village half buried under rubble 'It was like a blast-like sound' Most of the surviving villagers have moved to higher ground, setting up camp near the temple where the government has been storing rations. Local leaders are distributing bags of rice, potatoes, tea, cooking oil, shoes, mattresses and towels with the help of personnel from the ITBP and Uttarakhand police. Rajat Panwar was at this temple when the deluge came. 'It was like a blast-like sound. It strikes fear in my mind even now,' said Rajat, adding that he ran in the direction of higher ground and saw his family-owned hotel being submerged. 'I thought my immediate family members would drown, but they were safe. I lost some classmates and my aunt's son.' Having lost his hotel and apple orchards, he doesn't have any means to feed his family or build a roof over their heads. Choking back tears, he pleaded to the government—for shelter and a source of livelihood. 'In some families, people have lost the main earner. The government should give some sort of permanent employment, not necessarily a government job, to one person in each family, so at least the house can function.' 'Neighbouring villages see each other as one' In Harsil, some 7 km from Dharali, 18-year-old Shrikant Rawat runs up and down flights of stairs, ensuring guests in his family's hotel are taken care of. Rawat was in Dharali visiting relatives for a local festival when the flash flood struck Dharali and an Army camp in Harsil. 'I saw it with my own eyes,' said Rawat, who was on his way up to the temple when the flash flood came hurtling down the valley. 'Some people lost everything. What do village people have after all? Gold jewellery, fields, cows. Everything is gone for them.' Rawat added that the deluge came in waves, each devouring whatever came in its way in the blink of an eye. When he returned to Harsil, he saw that his village wasn't spared either. Newly built resorts on the banks of the river had been destroyed. 'For us, villages that are right next to each other we see as one village,' said Rawat, adding that he didn't want any support for Harsil, people were able to manage there. It is Dharali that needs more help, where villagers are living without electricity or clean water. Rawat said that between 50 to 80 people may have died in Dharali, a number he believes accurate based on conversations with local contractors, many of whom cannot account for migrant labourers. For now, these people are being counted as 'missing'. 'Village people are saying show us the body, because in everyone's mind they hold hope they will reunite with their loved ones,' he said. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: In disaster-hit Dharali, helicopters are lifeline for supplying rations. Work to reopen road on war footing


News18
16 hours ago
- News18
Heavy rain likely in north Bengal due to formation of low pressure area: IMD
Agency: PTI Kolkata, Aug 12 (PTI) A low pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday as a result of which, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in the northern districts of West Bengal till August 15, the IMD said. The low pressure system is likely to become more marked over the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Thunderstorms with lightning and light to moderate rain are likely to occur in several south Bengal districts till August 16, it said. The IMD said that the sub-Himalayan districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong are very likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till August 15. It said that the north Bengal districts are likely to receive heavy downpour owing to the collective effects of the low pressure area, an active monsoon trough in the region and strong moisture incursion. PTI AMR ACD view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
17 hours ago
- Business Standard
NGRI experts launch search ops to trace 66 missing in disaster-hit Dharal
Equipped with Ground Penetrating Radars, experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) on Tuesday launched a search operation to trace the 66 people, including 24 Nepali labourers, reported missing since raging waters and mudslides buried virtually half of Dharali village in Uttarkashi a week ago. The team of experts, which reached the flood-ravaged site on Monday evening, will identify and focus on places where there may be human presence under the debris, they said. Ground Penetrating Radars (GPRs) is a geophysical method that uses radio waves to detect objects and structures below the surface. The NGRI had used its GPRs to locate people trapped in the SLBC tunnel collapse in Telangana in February this year. These radars of NGRI can detect human life even in the presence of mud and water, the officials said, adding that the GPR surveys will also detect anomalies within the debris. On Monday, incessant rain in various parts of Uttarakhand, including Uttarkashi, had hampered the search and rescue operations in Dharali village as well as efforts to restore road connectivity to the flood-hit areas of the district. According to officials, 24 Nepali labourers and 42 others are reported missing since the tragedy struck the village on August 5. The JCB operator engaged in restoring road connectivity to the affected area went missing after it fell into the surging waters of the Bhagirathi river. A search is underway to locate him, the officials said. Dehradun was also lashed by heavy rain on Monday, resulting in waterlogging at various areas. More than 1,300 people have been evacuated since the start of air rescue operations after the disaster. Foodgrains, edible items and essentials like clothes, gumboots and sleeping bags etc have been provided to the affected people in adequate quantity, they said. Forty-three people were reported missing in the disaster, out of which the body of Akash Panwar, a youth from Dharali village, was recovered a few days back, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey had said on Monday. The ex-gratia announced by the state government as immediate relief has also been provided to the family of the deceased youth, he said. The 42 who still remain missing include nine army personnel, eight residents of Dharali village, five from nearby areas, one person from Tehri district, 13 from Bihar and six from Uttar Pradesh. Apart from these, 29 Nepali labourers were also reported missing initially, out of which five have been contacted after the restoration of mobile network in the area, he said. More details about the remaining 24 labourers like their mobile numbers and places where they hailed from have been sought from their contractors, he said. Distribution of an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each as immediate relief among the affected people is going on, he said, adding that a larger package of relief and rehabilitation is being prepared for them. The state government, quoting the Meteorological Department, said that the weather will remain bad for the next few days with heavy rain predicted in the state on August 13, 14 and 15. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)