One killed in Himachal flash floods, toll in rain fury at 122
Central teams will arrive in Himachal to take stock of flood-affected areas on Tuesday. A team will visit Mandi, Kullu and Manali, while another will tour Shimla, Solan and Kinnaur districts to assess the damage. Both teams are expected to stay in the state till July 22
A man was killed and three others travelling with him were injured when their vehicle was swept away in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst at Kayas village in Raison area of Kullu district early on Monday.
Eight more vehicles were washed away, a house was damaged and road connectivity to the village snapped due to heavy rain, state disaster management authority (SDMA) director DC Rana said, adding that a rescue team has reached Kayas.
Badal Sharma of Chansari village of Kullu was swept away in the vehicle, while the injured, Khem Chand, Suresh Sharma and Kapil, were admitted to hospital.
The meteorological department has forecast rain in Himachal Pradesh till July 22.
In the wake of the orange alert for heavy rain, the state government has extended the vacation of winter closing schools by a day. These include schools of Kinnaur and Pangi and Bharmour region of Chamba district, which have been closed since July 11.
Heavy rain, cloudbursts and landslides have claimed 37 lives and caused widespread damage across the state since July 8 with Kullu and Mandi districts bearing the brunt. Twelve people are still missing.
400 sheep die due to extreme weather in Spiti
Nearly 400 sheep died due to extreme cold in the high-altitude Pin Valley, while 1,200 sheep were rescued in Lahaul and Spiti district that received snow.
Lahaul-Spiti additional deputy commissioner Rahul Jain said 12 Gaddi (nomadic) shepherds, stranded due to heavy rain and snowfall from Spiti’s Pin Valley towards Bhawa Pass, had been rescued. As many as 1,200 stranded sheep and goats were taken to safer places. When the administration’s team inspected the spot, it found 400 sheep dead and 50 missing.
Barring a Gaddi stuck at Chandratal, all members of the nomadic community have been rescued.
On July 14, a rescue team with the help of local people provided fodder, medicines and ration to donkeys stranded at Kunzum Top and Chandratal. On the other hand, the second team went to rescue the shepherds of Rupi village in Kinnaur district, who were stranded in the Sangam Valley of Pin.
“It was here that we got information that eight shepherds are still trapped. They were provided medicines, ration and fodder. The third rescue team left from Mud village at 4am and found the six missing shepherds from Koot village of Rampur area,” Jain said.
Nearly 1,100 sheep and goats were stranded between rivulets near Bhava Pass, 17 km from Mud. The rescue team changed the flow of the drain and rescued the sheep and goats. After four hours, all shepherds were able to reach the village.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary, meanwhile, urged chief secretary Promod Saxena and the DC to urgently arrange a helicopter for rescue operations in the region.
“This morning, we received information from Dagu Ram, a resident of Bandla, stating that three shepherds—Ishwar Das, Finna Ram, and Jagdish Chand—are grappling with dire situations,” Kapoor said, seeking prompt action to provide essential commodities to them.
Close shave for labourers
A JCB driver and labourers working to clear debris from Chandigarh-Manali highway near Pandoh had a close shave when huge boulders rolled down the hill, hitting the machine. The driver and labourers, however, managed to escape unhurt.
The road connecting Sanjauli and Lakkar Bazar in the state capital, meanwhile, was also closed due to a landslide.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 24, a total of 122 people have lost their lives while 140 suffered injuries and 12 are still missing.
Central teams to arrive in state today
Central teams, meanwhile, will arrive in Himachal to take stock of flood-affected areas on Tuesday. A team will visit Mandi, Kullu and Manali, while another will tour Shimla, Solan and Kinnaur districts to assess the damage. Both teams are expected to stay in the state till July 22.
The government has appointed Himachal administrative services (HAS) officer Nishant Thakur as the nodal officer to coordinate with the arriving teams. Notably, losses amounting to ₹4,500 crore have been estimated so far.
Principal secretary revenue Onkar Sharma, meanwhile, said 117 people have lost their lives in the state since the onset of the monsoon, while 121 have been left injured. As many as 500 kutcha and pucca houses collapsed, while another 4,000 have been damaged. He added that people stranded in and around the state’s tourist destinations have been evacuated.
Rains damages water supply schemes
The excess rainfall has also dealt extensive damage to the state’s water supply schemes, the majority of which include lift irrigation from various river and rivulets.
Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the Jal Shakti department, said the state was committed to reinstating the schemes in quick time, adding that there was no shortage of funds for the repair and machinery maintenance.
Within the department of water power’s Shimla zone, which includes Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Kinnaur, and Spiti districts, 2,276 of the total 5,304 schemes were affected. Of these, 1,919 have already been restored. Department chief engineer Anju Sharma said all urban and town schemes in Shimla Zone have been reinstated, including Solan, Nalagarh, Arki, Baddi, Nahan, Rajgarh, Rohru, Rampur, Jubbal, and Hatkoti. In rural areas where water sources have been damaged or washed away, alternative arrangements have been made to ensure water supply.
The chief engineer further informed that landslides had left the storage tanks of the Gharog-Ghandal drinking water scheme in Shimla covered in rubble, causing extensive damage. “It may take some time to reinstate the scheme that supplies water to 42 villages, but the department’s employees are working tirelessly to restore the scheme,” Sharma added.
Besides, two schemes in Dharampur and Solan have also been severely affected and alternative arrangements have been made to provide drinking water to the residents. Attempts are also being made to restore the Rajgarh and Rohru schemes in the Nahan Mandal. In the plains where groundwater sources have been completely submerged, restoration work is being carried out once the water level recedes. Water supply is being ensured through hand pumps and natural sources as an interim arrangement.
