Himachal monsoon death toll reaches 250; rains disrupt services

The monsoon death toll in Himachal Pradesh has risen to 250 in 61 days. Heavy rains have caused widespread disruption, blocking 64 roads and affecting power and water supply, with cumulative losses now exceeding Rs 1,184 crore.

The monsoon death toll in Himachal Pradesh has risen to 250 in 61 days, with heavy rains continuing to disrupt road connectivity and power and water supply across the hill state, according to the latest data from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).

Death Toll Breakdown

The cumulative report for the period from June 30 to August 29 shows that 103 people died in weather-related incidents, while another 147 were killed in road accidents, taking the overall toll to 250. Of the 103 disaster-related fatalities, 31 were caused by falls from trees or steep rocks, 18 in landslides, 13 due to drowning, 11 following snake bites and 10 in electrocution incidents, the report said.

Infrastructure and Services Disrupted

As of Sunday morning, 64 roads remained blocked across the state, up from 54 reported the previous evening. Mandi was the worst-affected district with 24 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 16, while Kangra and Sirmaur each had seven road links blocked. Restoration operations are underway across the affected districts, with emergency response teams remaining on alert as authorities work to reopen blocked roads and restore disrupted power and water supply.

Power supply has also been affected, with 225 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) out of service. Of these, 217 are in the Gohar division of Mandi district. Nine water supply schemes have been disrupted, including seven in the Barsar subdivision of Hamirpur and two in the Rampur subdivision of Shimla.

Financial and Property Damage

The cumulative monsoon losses have crossed Rs 1,184 crore, with total damage estimated at Rs 1,18,446.80 lakh.

The Public Works Department has suffered the highest losses, exceeding Rs 897 crore, while the Jal Shakti Vibhag has reported damage of more than Rs 258 crore.

The rains have also caused extensive damage to private property. As many as 17 houses have been destroyed and 382 partially damaged. In addition, 298 cattle sheds and 135 huts and sheds have been damaged.

The state has also reported the loss of around 1,000 animals during the period.

Over 450 Injured

Meanwhile, 451 people have been injured in monsoon-related incidents, while one person remains missing, according to the SEOC data. (ANI)

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