Monsoon Fury in Himachal: Over 1,080 Roads Blocked, Thousands Stranded

National News: Himachal Pradesh is currently facing the brunt of rain and disaster. Landslides, sudden floods, and road collapses from mountains to plains have made life difficult for people.

Roads and electricity supply down

The latest report of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) shows that till Friday evening, 1,087 roads in the state are completely closed. 2,838 electricity lines have broken down in villages, while 509 water supply schemes have stopped working. As a result, access to drinking water and light has become difficult in many areas.

360 deaths recorded since June 20

According to the data, 360 people have lost their lives since June 20. Of these, 197 deaths have occurred due to rain-related incidents such as landslides, drowning, lightning, and cloudburst. At the same time, 163 people died in road accidents, which occurred due to bad weather and broken roads.

Injured and missing

The SDMA said that so far 426 people have been injured and 47 people are missing. Along with this, 1,440 animals have also died. The loss in the state so far is being estimated to be more than Rs 4,000 crore.

Mandi most affected

If we talk about the districts, 36 people have died in Mandi, 31 in Kangra, 21 each in Chamba and Shimla, and 20 in Kullu. If we look at the causes of deaths, 37 people died in landslides, 33 people drowned, 17 people died in cloudbursts, 15 each in lightning and falling incidents, while 9 people died in flash floods.

Relief work accelerates

Government agencies say that the work of opening roads and restoring electricity and water is going on continuously. However, the damage is so huge that it will take time to bring everything back on track. According to the spokesperson, this time the rain has also caused severe damage to agriculture and horticulture.

Air Force helped

The Indian Air Force's Chinook helicopters landed in the field to help the pilgrims stranded in the Mani Mahesh Yatra. In the first flight, 50 pilgrims were brought safely from Bharmour to Chamba. State government minister Jagat Singh Negi is monitoring this entire operation. Officials say that the remaining pilgrims will also be evacuated safely soon.