Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh over the past few days have caused severe damage across the state. As of now, 249 roads are shut down, with 207 of them in the Mandi district—one of the worst-hit areas due to landslides.
One major highway—Mandi to Dharampur (NH-3, part of the Atari-Leh route)—has been closed to heavy vehicles due to landslides. Another landslide happened at Kainchi Mor near Pandoh Dam on Friday night, blocking the Mandi-Kullu stretch of the Chandigarh-Manali highway for nearly 10 hours. Traffic was later diverted through the Katola-Kamand route, and after clearing the debris, one-way traffic was allowed again.
Due to these rains and landslides, the state has suffered losses worth ₹751 crore since the monsoon began on June 20.
Water & Power Supply Disrupted
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC):
- 781 water supply schemes have been disrupted
- 463 power transformers have stopped working
Heavy Rainfall in Various Areas
Several areas received moderate to heavy rainfall:
- Murari Devi – 126 mm
- Pandoh – 79 mm
- Slapper – 67.7 mm
- Kothi – 60.4 mm
- Mandi – 53.2 mm
- Jogindernagar – 53 mm
- Bhunter – 47.6 mm
- Bharari – 40 mm
- Sarahan – 35 mm
- Neri – 34 mm
- Sundernagar – 30.4 mm
Thunderstorms were reported in Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Kangra, and Murari Devi. Gusty winds blowing at speeds of 39 to 48 km/hr hit Neri, Seobagh, and Kukumseri.
Warning from the Weather Department
The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Yellow Alert’ for heavy rainfall in 4 to 10 districts until July 18.
Loss of Lives
- 92 people have died:
- 56 in rain-related incidents
- 36 in road accidents
- 172 people have been injured
- 33 are still missing
One of the most tragic incidents occurred on June 30 in Mandi, when 10 cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides struck. 27 people were swept away, and 15 lost their lives. Search operations are still ongoing.
So far this monsoon, Himachal Pradesh has:
- Received 26% more rain than usual
- Experienced 31 flash floods
- Witnessed 22 cloudbursts
- Suffered 17 major landslides
People are advised to stay alert and avoid travel in the affected areas.
