Rains batter Sirmaur, 41 roads blocked

Life in Sirmaur district has been thrown out of gear following three days of heavy rainfall, which triggered widespread disruption across the region. On Tuesday, 41 major district and state highways under the Public Works Department were closed due to landslides and road cave-ins triggered by incessant rains.

The worst affected was Shillai division, where 21 roads were blocked, followed by Sangrah with eight, Nahan with seven, and Rajgarh division with five roads remaining disrupted throughout the day.

Commuters, patients, government employees and traders faced immense hardship as vehicular movement came to a standstill on these routes. By late evening, the PWD managed to restore traffic on 30 roads by deploying JCB machines.

The department has reported a loss of nearly Rs 73.80 lakh over the past two days owing to road damages. Farmers across the district have also borne the brunt of heavy showers, with cash crops like tomato, capsicum, and French beans suffering significant damages. In addition, maize crops in several areas were flattened by strong winds that accompanied rain, compounding the distress of local cultivators.

While all four national highways passing through Sirmaur remained open, commuters encountered difficulties on the Nahan-Sarahan-Kumarhatti stretch where massive boulders rolled down onto the road. At Sadhanaghat, near Nainatikker, continuous falling of rocks posed a serious risk to vehicles and passengers.

The Education Department has recorded damage worth Rs 10 lakh after the retaining walls of Government Senior Secondary School, Bharog Baneri, collapsed due to incessant rains. Joginder Singh of Bhutli village in Nohra Dhar suffered Rs 10,000 damage to his kutcha house, while Deshraj of Mauj Riwadla in Narg lost a cow worth Rs 35,000.

In Shillai constituency, cowsheds belonging to Shobharam of Sharli Manpur and Kanwar Singh of Guddi Manpur collapsed, resulting in loss of around Rs 50,000 each.

The administration has directed the departments concerned to expedite relief measures for the affected people.