16 dead as rain pounds Himachal; Shimla highway closed

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 13

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in various parts of Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, leaving 16 persons dead and triggering massive landslides that left traffic snapped and commuters stranded on highways. 

A government advisory asked people to avoid travel as the weather officials warned of heavy rain in the state till Tuesday and thereafter on August 16 and 17. The government has ordered the closure of schools on Tuesday as well.

Solan district bore the brunt of monsoon fury as eight persons lost their lives in rain-related incidents. Four members of a family were killed in a landslide in Kandaghat subdivision while a boy was swept away in the swollen Kaushalya river near Parwanoo. Four persons died in Mandi, two in Hamirpur and one each in Bilaspur and Una. 

Six national highways, including the Chandigarh-Shimla, Kangra-Shimla, Mandi-Kullu and the Mandi-Pathankot links, were among the 923 affected roads. 

The maximum 353 roads were blocked in Shimla zone, followed by 255 in Mandi, 164 in Hamirpur and 152 in Kangra, said officials. The Shimla-Kalka rail service was suspended too as landslides buried the track near Jutogh and Kandaghat.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state had suffered a loss of around Rs 775 crore as landslides had damaged roads, irrigation and other public projects.

Himachal received 73.8 mm average rain in the past 24 hours, which is 500 per cent more than the normal of 12.3 mm, said Meteorological Department Director Manmohan Singh. Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur was the wettest place in the state with 307 mm rainfall, followed by Arki in Solan (300 mm) and Nadaun in Hamirpur (285 mm). Shimla received 207.6 mm rainfall while Solan got 163 mm.

हिमाचल प्रदेश में भारी बरसात के चलते जानमाल के नुक़सान के साथ कई लोगों की मृत्यु होने की सूचना से बहुत दुखी हूं।हमारी सरकार प्रभावित परिवारों के साथ है, जनता से अपील है कि नदी-नालों एवं भूस्खलन वाले क्षेत्र की ओर न जाएं।

— Jairam Thakur (@jairamthakurbjp) August 13, 2018

‘No travel’ Advisory  

The state government has advised people to avoid travel in view of more rain forecast on Tuesday. Chief Secretary Vineet Chaudhary directed the DCs to ensure nobody ventured near riverbanks, swollen nullahs. Trekkers have been advised to defer their schedule.

7 districts worst hit

Seven of 12 districts, including Solan, Kinnaur, Shimla, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur, worst affected. Traffic on Chandigarh-Manali NH-21 suspended after water level in the Beas rose near Hanogi temple.

923 roads blocked 

Rs 775 cr  estimated loss