Himachal monsoon fury: 70 dead, 204 roads blocked, ₹910 cr loss

Heavy monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to 70 deaths and over ₹910 crore in property damage in 43 days. The State Emergency Operation Centre reports 204 roads remain blocked, severely disrupting life and infrastructure across the state.

Heavy monsoon rains continued to disrupt life across Himachal Pradesh, with 204 roads remaining blocked, 70 people losing their lives in rain-related disasters and cumulative damage to public property crossing ₹910 crore over the past 43 days, according to the latest State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) report.

According to a press release, the data, covering the period from June 30 to August 11, reflects the extensive impact of the monsoon across the hill state, with roads, power infrastructure, water supply systems and private property bearing the brunt of repeated heavy rainfall, landslides, cloudbursts and other weather-related incidents.

Widespread Infrastructure Disruption

As many as 204 roads are currently blocked across the state, including two national highways, NH-154 and NH-21. Mandi is the worst affected district, with 80 roads closed. The key Mandi-Kullu route has also been disrupted at Jalogi Dwada. Kullu 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 teams.

The monsoon has also affected the state's power and drinking water infrastructure. A total of 45 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) are currently out of service. Sirmaur 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 Pradesh. Sirmaur has reported the highest number of disrupted schemes at 31, followed by Hamirpur with 11 and Mandi with eight. Restoration of electricity and water supply remains a priority for authorities in the affected areas.

The Human Toll

Disaster-Related Deaths

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 trees. Seven 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.

Road Accident Fatalities

In addition to direct disaster fatalities, 93 people have died in road accidents during the period. Chamba 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.

Economic Impact and Property Damage

The cumulative damage to public property has risen to approximately ₹910.35 crore, according to the latest official assessment. The 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 lakh. The 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.

Restoration Efforts and Challenges

State authorities, departmental teams and emergency response personnel are continuing restoration operations in affected areas. Efforts 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.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)