Himachal suffers Rs 1,195-cr losses since monsoon onset, 55 roads shut

As many as 55 roads are blocked in Himachal Pradesh owing to landslides and floods triggered by the ongoing rains, and the state has incurred losses of Rs 1,195 crore since the monsoon onset this year, official data released on Wednesday showed. As many as 139 people have died so far this monsoon season in rain-related incidents.

Fourteen roads are closed in Mandi, 13 in Shimla, 12 in Kangra, 11 in Kullu, two in Kinnaur and each in Bilaspur, Una and Sirmaur districts, according to the state emergency operation centre. The rains also disrupted 29 water and 14 power schemes in the state, as of Wednesday, the centre said.

Meanwhile, Shimla deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap on Wednesday urged residents, especially students, office-goers and patients visiting hospitals for treatment, to keep a half-hour margin while travelling.

The traffic problem in the state capital is worsening owing to the limited number of roads, with landslides further exacerbating the situation, leading to time-consuming commutes and frequent traffic jams, he told reporters.

A landslide had occurred near Boileauganj in Shimla on Monday, blocking a few roads in the area and disrupting water pipes, communication and electricity wires. The affected area is one of the busiest stretches of the state capital and a large number of government offices are located in the vicinity.

Kashyap said immediate removal of muck in the area could lead to more landslides and an alternate plan is being prepared and added that geologists have been roped in to study the strata and suggest measures to stabilise it.

Meanwhile, owing to repeated tremors in the building of the Shrikhand boys' hostel of Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla's Summer Hill amid heavy rains, the vice-chancellor has asked authorities to vacate the hostel and shift the students to a nearby facility, a notification issued in Shimla said.

The local weather office on Wednesday issued a 'yellow' alert for heavy rains, thunderstorm and lightning in isolated places of the state from Sunday.

Intermittent rains lashed some parts of Himachal since Tuesday evening, with Palampur recording the maximum rainfall of 56 mm, followed by Berthin noting 23 mm, Dharamshala 15.6 mm, Nahan 8.9 mm, Dalhousie 7 mm, and Poanta Sahib 6.2 mm.

Himachal Pradesh's rainfall deficit so far since the onset of monsoon on 27 June stood at 22 per cent until Wednesday, with the state receiving 430.3 mm rain against an average of 550.4 mm. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state, recording a low of 9.9 mm, while Tabo in the same district was hottest with a maximum temperature of 38.3 degrees Celsius.