MeT issues 'orange warning' for seven districts in Himachal for next two days

Heavy rains lashed Shimla and surrounding areas on Friday, 28 June, and the MeT department issued an 'orange warning' indicating "very heavy rain", thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in seven of the 12 districts in the state over the weekend.

The MeT also issued a 'yellow warning' of heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places on July 1 and 2 and predicted a wet spell in the state till 4 July. Delayed by five days, the southwest monsoon had hit several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday.

It issued an orange warning for the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts on Saturday and Sunday.

Earlier on Friday, debris from drains littered the roads at several places in Shimla and three vehicles parked near a drain were buried in the muck on the Malyana Surala road. No casualty was reported, officials said.

In another incident, four roads -- two in Kangra and one each in Kinnaur and Kullu districts -- have been blocked for vehicular traffic following rains as per the state emergency operation centre.

State capital Shimla and surrounding areas received heavy rains and Jubbarhatti in the suburbs received 136 mm of rain on Thursday evening while Shimla received 84 mm of rain.

Gohar received 42 mm of rain, Mashobra 38 mm, Slapper 34.6 mm, Kufri and Shilaroo 24.2 mm, Sarahan and Berthin 22 mm each, Ghagas 18.8 mm, Karsog 18.2 mm, Kahu 16 mm and Pandoh 12 mm as per the data released by the MeT.

The MeT has cautioned of damage to plantation, horticulture and standing crops, partial damage to vulnerable structures, minor damage to kutcha houses and huts due to strong winds and rain, disruption in traffic and water logging in low-lying areas.

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that reports of damage have also poured in from Nerva near Chopal in Shimla district. "I request the people of the state to stay away from Rivers and drains as the level of water rises following cloud bursts which could prove fatal and people should take precautions.

He further said the state government is fully prepared to deal with any eventuality arising from monsoon.

"All the field staff have been told to stay active and I am also taking stock of the situation", he added.

Meanwhile, the state public works minister Vikramaditya Singh who met the Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday had requested him to release Rs 150 crore already announced by him for repairing PWD roads connecting the national highways given the ensuing monsoon season.