The meteorological department here has issued a “red” alert for seven districts in Himachal Pradesh, warning that extremely heavy rainfall is likely to continue on Sunday
Rain wreaked havoc at several places in Himachal Pradesh, where the meteorological department issued a “red” alert for seven districts, warning that extremely heavy rainfall is likely to continue on Sunday. Due to continuous rain around Mandi and Kullu districts, the Beas River flowing through Himachal Pradesh is in a spate, halting vehicular movement in the area.
Several videos of mass-scale destruction due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh are going viral on social media. In one of the videos, a car can be seen sweeping away in the Beas River near Kullu as the water level increased in the river following heavy rains.
A portion of National Highway 3 was also washed away by the overflowing Beas River in Kullu.
Several shops and an ATM have also been washed away by the swelling Beas, as the state administration has issued an alert, urging residents to remain cautious.
Six under-construction houses were damaged in a landslide following rains in the Kasauli area of Solan district on Saturday morning, but no casualty was reported. The district administration has shifted the labourers to safe places.
Landslides and flash floods blocked several roads in Shimla, Sirmaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba and Solan districts.
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The Manali-Leh national highway was blocked following the flooding of the Teiling nallah, about a kilometre away from the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang. Roads were also blocked following flash floods in the Madrang nallah and Kala nallah in Udipur in Lahaul and Spiti districts.
Commuters, including those travelling by a Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus, were stranded about five kilometres from Gramphu in the Lahaul sub-division of Lahaul and Spiti as the road was washed away in flash floods.
There was one-way traffic on some stretches of the Shimla-Kalka national highway (NH-5) following incidents of landslide and rocks falling on the Kandaghat-Parwanoo stretch.
‘RED ALERT’ IN HIMACHAL
Under the influence of an active Western Disturbance, intense spells of extremely heavy rainfall are likely at isolated places in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts on Sunday as well, the Met office said in a statement.
A “red” alert implies the possibility of more than 204 mm of downpour in a day.
An “orange” warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall has also been issued for Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Lahaul and Spiti. The Met office has forecast a wet spell in the state till July 13.
It has also cautioned about the possibility of flash floods along water bodies in Kangra, Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Sirmaur, Solan and Una districts, and a disruption of water, power and communication facilities in the low and mid hills.
Landslides, flash floods, mudslides and increased runoffs in rivers and nallahs are likely and there could be occasional reduction in visibility due to heavy rainfall.
A number of rivers were reported to be flowing above the danger mark. A total of 133 roads in the hill state are closed for vehicular traffic. The Kullu district administration has postponed the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra till July 11 and asked the pilgrims not to trek in rain.
So far, Himachal Pradesh has suffered a loss of Rs 362 crore during this monsoon season, according to the state emergency operation centre. Water supply to the capital city of Shimla was hit due to turbulence in the water sources.
