Torrential rain disrupts normal life in Himachal; 109 roads blocked, orange alert in 4 districts

Torrential rain led to the closure of 109 roads across Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, with the local meteorological office issuing an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in four districts on August 17 and 18.

Orange alert in four districts

The orange alert has been issued across Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra and Mandi districts for Monday, and in Una, Chamba and Kangra districts for Tuesday, the Met office said.

Moderate to heavy rain lashed parts of Kangra district since Saturday evening. Dharamshala recorded 126.3 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, followed by Palampur at 55 mm and Kangra at 34.6 mm, Met office data showed.

Tree collapse damages building, vehicles

Two families at Thakurdwara near Palampur in Kangra district had a narrow escape on Sunday morning after a tree fell on their building, officials said.

The building, adjacent shops and parked vehicles were damaged in the tree collapse, leading to a brief traffic congestion on the Palampur-Hamirpur highway, they said.

109 roads remain closed

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, 43 roads were closed in Mandi, 33 in Kullu, eight in Sirmaur, seven in Shimla, six each in Chamba and Kangra, four in Una and two in Lahaul-Spiti.

The rain has also affected essential infrastructure. As many as 216 water supply lines and seven power transformers were damaged, officials said.

79 deaths reported since monsoon began

The prolonged monsoon has also taken a heavy toll in the hill state. Since the onset of monsoon on June 30, 79 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 14 in landslides and one in a flash flood.

The state has suffered estimated losses of Rs 973 crore so far, according to officials.

Rain deficit continues despite fresh spell

Himachal Pradesh received 128.3 mm of rainfall between August 1 and 16, against the normal 156.5 mm for the period, resulting in an 18 per cent deficit.

The latest spell, however, has triggered fresh disruptions across several districts, with the weather office warning of more heavy to very heavy rain in the coming days.