Himachal Hit by Monsoon Fury, 136 Roads Closed, ₹955 Crore Losses

Himachal Pradesh continued to experience widespread monsoon-related disruptions on Thursday, with light to moderate rain reported at several places and the weather department issuing an orange alert for heavy rainfall at isolated locations on August 14, 17 and 18.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), 136 roads remained closed across the state. Mandi recorded the highest number of closures at 48, followed by Kullu with 37 and Shimla with 26. Roads were also blocked in Chamba, Sirmaur, Kangra, Una, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur.

Dharamshala recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours, receiving 52 mm, while Rohru recorded 22 mm, Khadrala 17 mm and Kasauli 12 mm. Minimum temperatures remained two to five degrees Celsius above normal. Kukumseri recorded the lowest temperature at 10.3 degrees Celsius, while Una registered the day's highest at 36.2 degrees Celsius.

The recent downpour has also affected infrastructure, disrupting 242 water supply schemes and nine power transformers, officials said.

Meanwhile, more than 200 sheep and goats were killed by lightning in the Rupi Kande area of tribal Kinnaur late Wednesday night. The flock was resting in a pasture when lightning struck. The herders, who were sleeping in a nearby shed, escaped unharmed. Officials have dispatched a team to assess the losses and initiate compensation as per rules.

In Lahaul and Spiti, flash floods on August 11 damaged a 700-metre stretch of the Munchi-Tinno road, irrigation channels, 63 metres of irrigation pipes and standing crops.

Since the monsoon began on June 30, 77 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 14 in landslides and one in a flash flood. The state has suffered estimated losses of ₹955 crore, while the weather department has forecast continued wet conditions until August 17.