Monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 70 lives, blocked 204 roads and caused over Rs 910 crore in damage over the last 43 days.
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Himachal rain fury: Over 200 routes blocked, death toll touches 70, as monsoon showers wreak havoc | Image: ANI
Shimla: Monsoon rains continued to wreak havoc across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, claiming 70 lives in rain-related disastersThe cumulative damage to public property has crossed Rs 910 crore over the past 43 days, according to the latest State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reportIncessant rains have triggered landslides, cloudbursts, and other weather-related incidents, impacting roads, power infrastructure and water supply systems.
As many as 204 roads are currently blocked across the state, including two national highways, NH-154 and NH-21Mandi is the worst affected district, with 80 roads closedThe key Mandi-Kullu route has also been disrupted at Jalogi DwadaKullu has reported 56 blocked roads, while 23 roads remain closed in Sirmaur, the press release said.
The continuing road closures have disrupted inter-district connectivity and posed challenges for the movement of essential supplies and emergency response teamsThe monsoon has also affected the state’s power and drinking water infrastructureA total of 45 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) are currently out of serviceSirmaur accounts for 41 of these disruptions, all in the Nahan subdivision.
The press release further stated that around 82 water supply schemes have also been affected across Himachal PradeshSirmaur has reported the highest number of disrupted schemes at 31, followed by Hamirpur with 11 and Mandi with eightRestoration of electricity and water supply remains a priority for authorities in the affected areas.
According to the SEOC data, 70 people have died in direct disaster-related incidents during the 43-day period from June 30 to August 11.
Landslides accounted for 14 deaths, while 23 people died after falling from steep slopes, rocks or treesSeven deaths were attributed to snake bites, six to electrocution and four to cloudbursts.
Lahaul and Spiti recorded the highest number of direct disaster-related deaths at 14, followed by Kangra with 12.
In addition to direct disaster fatalities, 93 people have died in road accidents during the periodChamba recorded the highest number of road accident deaths at 16, followed by Kullu with 13, Sirmaur with 12 and Shimla with 11.
The figures underline the wider human toll associated with the monsoon, particularly in a state where damaged roads, landslides and difficult terrain significantly increase travel risks.
The cumulative damage to public property has risen to approximately ₹910.35 crore, according to the latest official assessmentThe Public Works Department has suffered the largest share of the losses, with damage estimated at ₹68,636.43 lakh.
The power sector has reported losses of ₹20,389.51 lakhThe monsoon has also caused extensive damage to houses, other private structures, livestock and crops across all 12 districts, adding to the economic burden on affected families and communities.
State authorities, departmental teams and emergency response personnel are continuing restoration operations in affected areasEfforts are focused on clearing landslides and debris, reopening blocked roads, restoring electricity and drinking water supplies and maintaining connectivity to affected habitations, the press release said.
However, continuing rainfall and the possibility of further landslides and weather-related incidents remain major challenges for restoration work.
The latest 43-day assessment highlights the scale of the monsoon impact on Himachal Pradesh, with the combined toll of disaster-related deaths, road accidents, infrastructure disruption and more than ₹910 crore in public property damage putting considerable pressure on the state’s disaster-response and restoration machinery, the press release stated.
(with ANI inputs)
