Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 29 (ANI): Torrential rains continue to disrupt life across Himachal Pradesh, severely affecting key infrastructure. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as of 6 p.m. on July 29, a total of 357 roads, 182 power distribution transformers (DTRs), and 179 water supply schemes (WSS) have been disrupted due to heavy rainfall across the state.
Among the 357 roads blocked, one is a National Highway (NH-21) between Mandi and Kullu. Mandi district reported the highest number of road blockages (259), followed by Kullu (47) and Kangra (24). Heavy rain has been cited as the primary cause of most disruptions.
The power sector has also been significantly impacted, with Mandi experiencing the highest number of outages (172 DTRs), followed by Kangra (5) and Chamba (5). Water supply services have similarly been affected, particularly in Kangra (98 schemes) and Mandi (47 schemes).
Meanwhile, the ongoing monsoon fury has tragically claimed 18 lives in the past 24 hours. According to state authorities, 14 deaths were directly caused by rain-related incidents, including landslides and flash floods, while 4 individuals died in separate road accidents.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) continues to monitor the situation, and restoration work is underway in multiple districts. Authorities have urged the public to avoid travel on vulnerable routes and to adhere to official advisories.
Earlier today, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that torrential rains wreaked havoc in Mandi district last night, particularly impacting the Jail Road area, where two people were killed and more are missing, buried under debris.
Speaking to reporters in Shimla, the Chief Minister described the event as a possible “cloudburst-like” disaster and assured that immediate rescue and relief efforts are ongoing.
“Heavy rain lashed Mandi last night, causing severe damage to the Jail Road area. Two deaths have been reported. Given the scale of the disaster, I can say it resembles a cloudburst-like situation,” said Sukhu. (ANI)
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