Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh have blocked 106 roads and disrupted power and water supplies. The severe monsoon has claimed 157 lives and caused financial losses over Rs 88,637 lakh, with restoration work currently underway.
Widespread Disruption Across State
Heavy rains continued to disrupt normal life across Himachal Pradesh, with 106 roads blocked and 66 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) out of service, according to the latest State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) report. The road network has been worst affected in Kullu and Mandi districts. Kullu has reported 40 blocked roads across Kullu, Banjar, Anni and Nirmand subdivisions, while 38 roads are closed in Mandi, particularly in Seraj, Thalout and adjoining areas. Nine roads remain blocked in Shimla district.
Power supply has also been hit, with Mandi accounting for 63 of the 66 affected DTRs in the state. The rains have additionally disrupted 19 water supply schemes, including 12 in Shimla, five in Hamirpur and two in Bilaspur.
Monsoon’s Heavy Toll: Lives and Property Lost
The latest disruptions come amid a severe monsoon season that has caused significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure across the state since June 30. According to cumulative SEOC data, 68 people have died in monsoon-related natural incidents, including landslides, drowning, snake bites and falls, while 89 people have lost their lives in road accidents during the period. More than 880 private structures, including houses, shops and cattle sheds, have also been damaged. The cumulative financial loss to government departments and public infrastructure has been estimated at over Rs 886 crore, with the Public Works Department and Jal Shakti Vibhag accounting for a major share of the reported damage.
Restoration work is underway across the affected districts, with emergency teams engaged in clearing blocked roads, restoring power supply and repairing damaged water supply infrastructure.
Assessing the Widespread Damage
Himachal Pradesh has been hit hard by the ongoing monsoon season, with the total monetary loss soaring to a staggering Rs 88,637.55 lakh as of August 9, 2026. According to the cumulative damage statement released by the state government for the period starting June 30, 2026, the disasters triggered by heavy rains have claimed 157 lives and left 257 people injured. Two individuals are still reported missing. The state has already disbursed Rs 628 lakh in ex-gratia payments to the victims and their families.
District-wise Fatalities
District-wise data reveals that Chamba has recorded the highest number of fatalities with 24 deaths, followed closely by Kangra and Kullu with 21 deaths each. Shimla reported 20 deaths, while Lahaul & Spiti saw 18 fatalities. Other districts, including Sirmaur, reported 16 deaths; Solan and Una reported 9 each; Mandi reported 7, Kinnaur reported 5, Bilaspur reported 4, and Hamirpur reported 3 deaths.
Infrastructure and Property Losses
In terms of animal life, the state has lost 201 animals and birds, resulting in a monetary loss of Rs 33.605 lakh. The damage to private property has been extensive, with the total monetary loss in this sector estimated at Rs 483.565 lakh. The monsoon has completely destroyed 64 houses, which include 22 pucca and 42 kaccha structures. Additionally, 255 houses have been partially damaged, comprising 94 pucca and 161 kaccha houses. The destruction extends to other private assets including 13 shops or factories, 3 labour sheds, 217 cow sheds, and 3 water mills or shamshan ghats. Kangra district suffered the most in terms of house damage, with 17 pucca and 20 kaccha houses fully destroyed.
Public infrastructure has borne the brunt of the monsoon’s impact, with the Public Works Department (PWD) reporting a massive loss of Rs 66,279.1 lakh. The Jal Shakti Vibhag (JSV) followed with damages worth Rs 20,389.51 lakh. The power sector has sustained losses of Rs 530.61 lakh, while the education sector, covering both elementary and higher education, reported a total loss of Rs 214.2 lakh. Agriculture and horticulture sectors have also been impacted, with losses of Rs 72.04 lakh and Rs 6.92 lakh respectively.
Financial Impact by District
The cumulative financial impact across districts shows that Chamba leads with a total loss of Rs 236.32 lakh, followed by Kangra at Rs 204.28 lakh and Shimla at Rs 160.00 lakh. Other significantly affected districts include Mandi with Rs 115.38 lakh, Kullu with Rs 90.10 lakh, and Sirmaur with Rs 83.32 lakh. Lahaul & Spiti reported a loss of Rs 74.65 lakh, Una recorded Rs 53.80 lakh, Kinnaur Rs 43.70 lakh, Solan Rs 36.85 lakh, Bilaspur Rs 27.13 lakh, and Hamirpur Rs 19.65 lakh.
The state remains on high alert as rescue and restoration operations continue across the disaster-hit regions. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)