Torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh have blocked 124 roads and disrupted 255 transformers, with Mandi being the worst-hit district. The cumulative death toll has reached 155, with an estimated loss of over Rs. 8,352 crores.
Torrential rains continue to disrupt normal life across Himachal Pradesh. According to the latest data released by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), 124 roads are blocked, and 255 distribution transformer regions (DTRs) are out of service.
The SEOC report, covering the monsoon situation through August 9, said that Mandi was the worst-affected district in terms of road blockages, with 51 roads closed, followed by Kullu with 39 and Shimla with 13. Road disruptions were also reported in Chamba with seven roads blocked, Sirmaur with six, Kangra with five, Lahaul and Spiti with four and Una with three.
Widespread Power and Water Outages
The power distribution network has also suffered extensive disruption, with 255 DTRs affected across the state. Mandi accounted for 245 of these outages, including 163 in Sundernagar and 63 in Mandi sub-divisions. Transformer disruptions were also reported from Kalpa in Kinnaur, Chopal in Shimla and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur, with four, three and three DTRs affected respectively. As many as 17 water supply schemes also remain affected, including 12 in Shimla and five in Hamirpur.
Monsoon Claims 155 Lives
The cumulative monsoon disaster report puts the total number of human deaths at 155. This includes 68 disaster-related fatalities and 87 deaths in road accidents. Mandi recorded the highest number of disaster-related deaths at 14, followed by Kangra with 11, Chamba and Shimla with nine each, and Kullu with eight.
Breakdown of Fatalities
The 68 disaster-related deaths were caused by incidents including landslides, falling trees and rocks, drowning, flash floods and fires. Road accidents accounted for 87 additional deaths. Chamba recorded the highest number of road accident fatalities at 15, followed by Kullu and Shimla with 12 each and Kangra with 10.
Extensive Damage to Property and Infrastructure
The cumulative estimated loss to public departments, agriculture and private property has been pegged at Rs. 83,526.19 lakhs, or approximately Rs. 8,352.62 crores. The Public Works Department suffered the largest share of the reported losses at Rs. 61,585.43 lakhs, while damage to the Jal Shakti Vibhag was estimated at Rs. 19,986.05 lakhs. The monsoon has also damaged residential and commercial structures. As many as 213 houses were completely damaged and 620 partially damaged, while 256 kaccha and pucca huts and 22 shops were affected. Disaster-related incidents also resulted in the deaths of 200 animals and damage to 160 animal sheds across the state.
Restoration Work in Progress
Restoration operations are continuing in affected areas. Local administration teams and emergency services are working to clear blocked roads, restore electricity supply and repair drinking water infrastructure. Officials said that restoration work is being prioritised on key road links and essential public utilities in the worst-affected subdivisions. (ANI)
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