Himachal Pradesh floods claim 320 lives; roads, power and water supply severely disrupted

Repair and restoration work underway following a landslide due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh. Pic/PTI

The monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh continues to batter infrastructure amid intense spells of rain and landslides. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) stated that 819 roads, including three national highways, 1,236 electricity transformers and 424 water supply schemes have been severely disrupted across the state, reported ANI.

The cumulative death toll in the state since June 20 has reached 320, of which 166 deaths were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and electrocution, while 154 deaths occurred in road accidents, the SDMA said.

News agency ANI further reported that Himachal Pradesh's road network has been severely impacted, with major blockages reported on NH-03, NH-05, and NH-305. Moreover, hundreds of rural link roads were cut off due to landslides and debris flows. Districts such as Chamba (253 roads), Mandi (206), Kullu (175), and Kangra (61) are among the worst affected.

Along with the infrastructural destruction, the power supply across the state has also taken a massive hit. Authorities said that 1,236 distribution transformers (DTRs) were damaged or remain non-operational, particularly in Kullu (357), Chamba (296), Una (330), and Mandi (177). While the restoration work is ongoing, because of the extremely heavy rainfall, there are severe accessibility issues in high-altitude and interior regions.

Another major aspect which is making the lives of the locals a lot more challenging is the supply of fresh water. Water supply has been disrupted in 424 schemes, affecting both drinking water and irrigation facilities. The highest impact of water supply has been in Chamba (77 schemes), Kullu (39), Mandi (56), and Shimla (32).

To bring the situation under control, the authorities have deployed multiple teams for road clearance, power restoration, and water supply repairs. However, they have warned that heavy rain could delay full restoration.

The cumulative damage from June 20 to August 30 in Himachal Pradesh due to flooding has been pegged at Rs 3,04,207.46 lakh, covering losses to lives, livestock, agriculture, horticulture, houses, shops, factories, public utilities, and other infrastructure, reported PTI.

Rain-related fatalities include 33 drownings, 17 cloudbursts, 14 electrocutions, 11 landslides, nine flash floods, and others caused by lightning, snake bites, and falls from steep terrain. Accident fatalities were reported in Chamba (22), Mandi (22), Kangra (19), and Shimla (16).

(With inputs from ANI)