Himachal Pradesh Faces huges damages due to heavy rain in July 2023
All the major rivers, including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Chenab, are in spate and tourists and commuters have been asked to avoid travelling during heavy rains and not to venture out near river bodies.
Bridges and highways washed away, people stuck due to landslides at several places, at least 9 people dead so far — heavy rains have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh today with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) already sounding a red alert across 7 districts.
A portion of the national highway, along the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu, was washed away following massive landslides. Traffic has been disrupted between Mandi and Kullu as several vehicles remain stranded along the highway, officials said, adding that work is on to clear the stretch
Thirteen landslides and nine flash floods have been reported in the state in the past 36 hours, the state emergency operation centre was quoted as saying by PTI. Three people were killed and three others were missing after a vehicle hit by a landslide fell into the Ganga River in Tehri Garhwal district on Sunday.
One pilgrim was killed and two others went missing after falling from a hill near Parvati Bagh during the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra, which has been suspended for July 9 and 10, in view of the red alert, ANI reported.
National Highway 21 is blocked at 6 mile, the same place where commuters were stuck for almost 24 hours on June 27 last due to a landslide. Four tourists had a narrow escape on Saturday night as a stone fell on their vehicle near Chadol on Chandigarh-Manali highway. On the National Highway 505, thirty college students stranded between Gramphu and Chota Dharra on Sundo-kaza-Gramphu following road block due to landslide and flash floods at several places.
Earlier in the day, a portion of National Highway 3 has been washed away by the overflowing Beas River in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. As many as 736 roads have been closed for traffic while 1,743 transformers and 138 water supply schemes were affected on Sunday morning. Several roads have also been closed in Shimla districts.
The Kullu-Manali road is blocked at several places due to landslides and Beas River is in spate near Ramshela and traffic has been halted from Kullu to Manali and Manali to Atal Tunnel. Landslides have also occurred on Mandi-Kullu road and only emergency vehicles are allowed on this stretch. All the trains between UNESCO heritage Shimla and Kalka track have been cancelled as landslides and falling of trees blocked the railway track at many places.
Shops have been swept away in Manali, while vehicles have been washed away in flash floods at Nullah in Kullu, Kinnaur and Chamba. All the major rivers, including Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Chenab, are in spate and tourists and commuters have been asked to avoid travelling during heavy rains and not to venture out near river bodies.
Meanwhile, the Losar village in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh received unexpected spell of snowfall on Sunday.
