Himachal rain: 134 roads closed; flash-flood warning in 5 districts
Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has led to the closure of 134 roads, including National Highway 5. The local meteorological office has issued a warning for low to moderate flash floods in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan districts until Friday. A yellow alert for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning at isolated places across the state is also in effect for September 2.
Road closures and utility disruptions across Himachal
In addition to National Highway 5, the road closures include 59 roads in Shimla, 28 in Sirmaur, 16 each in Kullu and Mandi, 10 in Kangra, two in Lahaul and Spiti, and one each in Kinnaur, Una, and Chamba. The state emergency operation center (SEOC) also reported that 132 power schemes and 54 water supply schemes have been disrupted due to the heavy rains.
Rainfall triggers landslides and tree uprooting
The heavy rains, which began on Wednesday evening, have caused landslides and uprooted trees across the state. This has particularly affected school and office goers in Shimla city near Toyland. Chopal recorded the highest rainfall at 40.4mm, followed by Nahan with 24mm, Dhaulakuan with 21mm, Poanta Sahib with 15.4mm, and Una with 14.6mm.
Himachal's rainfall deficit
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 27, Himachal Pradesh has experienced a 23% rainfall deficit, with the state receiving 464.1mm rainfall against an average of 603.7mm. Officials said that since the start of the monsoon until Monday, 144 people have died and the state has suffered losses to the tune of ₹1,217 crore.
