3 Himachal districts on red alert, 260 roads closed
What's the story
Himachal Pradesh is reeling under the impact of heavy monsoon rains, with over 260 roads blocked across the state. The Mandi district has been particularly hard hit, with 176 roads closed. The local Meteorological office has issued a red alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Kangra, Sirmaur, and Mandi districts on Sunday.
Weather warning
'Orange' alert issued for several districts
An "orange" alert has also been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Solan, Shimla and Kullu districts. The weather department has warned of possible landslides and flash floods due to the heavy rainfall. People are advised to stay away from water bodies and other vulnerable areas.
Economic impact
SEOC estimates losses of around ₹541 crore
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) has estimated losses of around ₹541 crore due to the heavy rains. However, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the losses could be as high as ₹700 crore. The rains have also affected around 300 transformers and 281 water supply schemes across the state.
Fatalities reported
72 deaths reported since monsoon season began
Since the monsoon season began on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has reported 72 deaths. Of these, 45 were due to rain-related incidents such as cloudbursts and flash floods. Mandi district saw the most damage with 10 incidents of cloudbursts and flash floods on Tuesday alone, killing 14 people. Search operations are underway for 31 missing persons in this incident.
Ongoing weather conditions
Light to moderate rainfall still being witnessed across state
Light to moderate rainfall is still being witnessed across Himachal Pradesh. Jogindernagar received 52mm of rain since Friday evening, followed by Nahan and Palampur, which recorded 28.8mm each. Other areas like Paonta Sahib (21mm), Una (18mm), Berthin (17.4mm), Kangra (15.6mm), and Naina Devi (12.6mm) also saw significant rainfall during this period.