Heaviest-ever rain leaves state in tatters

Tribune News Service

Shimla. August 18

The state received highest-ever rain in the last 24 hours, killing 21 persons and injuring 12 at various places.

Thousands of tourists and locals were stranded at various places in Lahaul-Spiti and Leh due to 3 cm of snow at Baralacha and Keylong, something which happened in August after 22 years.

A series of flash floods and landslides sent the Beas, the Sutlej and the Ravi surging, throwing life out of gear. Eight vehicles were washed away at Nerwa in Shimla due to flood in the Shalvi khud.

In Shimla district, eight persons died and 10 were injured in three incident of landslides. Two girls - Divya (15) and Vishaka (18) - and their mother died while their father Haridas was rescued from the RTO office in the city. A labourer Shah Alam died as a retaining wall collapsed at Lower Cemetery, while two Nepalese were killed after a tree fell on their hut at Halnidhar in Kumarsain.

Five people died in the BBN industrial belt, two persons each lost their lives in Chamba, Kullu and Sirmaur district, while one each died in Bilaspur and Lahaul and Spiti districts.

Many power projects were shut due to high silt level in the Beas, Satluj and Ravi and their tributaries. The HPSEBL started drawing power from the northern grid, said MD, HPSEBL, JP Kalta.

The Railways suspended trains on the heritage Kalka-Shimla track and Una track indefinitely. Nine highways were blocked due to landslides. Traffic remained suspended on 887 roads - 403 roads in Shimla zone, the highest in the state, 186 in Mandi, 184 in Kangra and 105 Hamipur zone. The traffic on the Kalka-Shimla-Narkanda-Kinnaur and Shimla-Mandi highways was disrupted throughout the day due landslides at various places in the city, at Ghanati and between Solan and Shimla.

The Shimla-Tutikandi bypass remained closed as uprooted trees at several places brought traffic to a standstill.

All-time high rain in 24 hours

Met Department Director Dr Manmohan said the state received the highest-ever rainfall for a 24-hour period, since records began almost 70 years ago. The state as a whole received 102.5 mm which was 1,065 per cent more than normal for this day. Earlier, the highest rainfall in a day was recorded on August 14, 2011, and that was 74 mm. The state capital saw 153 mm 

Rs 490 cr loss to state: CM

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said DCs had been directed to keep a close vigil on the flood situation and close schools to ensure the security of the people. He directed the PWD to open roads and IPH Department to restore water supplies. Farmers in Lahaul-Spiti has suffered damage to the cash crops due to untimely snow and rain. Himachal has suffered a loss of about Rs 490 crore this monsoon, he added.