Himachal Pradesh Rains Trigger Landslides, Flash Floods, 121 Roads Blocked

Heavy rainfall has disrupted road connectivity across Himachal Pradesh, with 121 roads rendered inaccessible due to landslides and flash floods, even as the Shimla Meteorological Centre issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rain in parts of the state from July 27 to 29.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Mandi was the worst affected, with 41 road stretches closed, followed by Kullu with 24 and Chamba with 23. Another 13 roads were shut in Shimla, seven in Sirmaur, six in Kangra and five in Lahaul and Spiti. Bilaspur and Una reported one road closure each.

The downpour also affected 89 water supply schemes and 43 transformers across the state, adding to the disruption caused by the adverse weather.

In Shimla, a few houses along the Mehli-Junga road on the outskirts of the city were declared to be in danger after a landslide occurred on Thursday night. Local resident Chetan Mehta alleged that hill cutting carried out by a private individual had put around 10 houses on the hillside at risk.

Light to moderate rainfall continued in several parts of Himachal Pradesh from Thursday. Naina Devi in Bilaspur recorded the highest rainfall at 76.2 mm, followed by Jot at 75.2 mm and Ghamroor at 61.6 mm. Other areas that received significant rainfall included Olinda, Sarahan, Nangal Dam, Kangra and Shimla.

The weather conditions have also led to variations in temperatures across the state. Keylong recorded the lowest temperature at 11.3 degrees Celsius, while Mandi was the hottest at 33.7 degrees Celsius.

The weather office's orange warning for the coming days has raised concerns over further disruptions, particularly in landslide-prone and hilly areas.