Kangra dist reels under record rainfall; Palampur hit by worst deluge in 76 yrs

Unprecedented rainfall over the past 100 hours has brought normal life to a standstill in Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur areas of Kangra district. Heavy landslides and flash floods have blocked major highways and rural roads, cutting off several villages from the rest of the state. Palampur has witnessed such intense rainfall after a gap of 76 years.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sankalp Gautam appealed to residents to stay away from the riverbeds of Neugal, Binwa and Awa, warning that heavy rain is expected in the higher reaches of the Dhauladhar. He said the entire official machinery has been placed on high alert in Palampur and Baijnath.

The Palampur-Kangra-Una highway remains blocked near Old Kangra and the Kangra bypass due to massive landslides. The Palampur-Mandi-Manali highway is also closed, while the Palampur-Jaisinghpur road is shut near Lambagaon. Several houses in the lower areas of Palampur have developed cracks due to ground movement.

In the upper reaches, the Bir-Barot road is closed following landslides near Rajgundha and Billing. Tourist movement has been barred and access to the Chhota Bhangal region remains suspended. Local rivers and streams are flowing dangerously above warning levels, with the Uhal and Lamb Dag rivers already breaching danger marks. In Barot, several buildings have been damaged by incessant rain.

Numerous kachha houses have collapsed, while many drinking water supply schemes stand disrupted, leaving several localities without water. Power outages are widespread as strong winds and landslides have uprooted trees and damaged supply lines. Engineers of the HPSEBL are working round the clock to restore electricity. Assistant Engineer Anil Dhiman and Junior Engineer Shubham inspected the affected areas, confirming extensive damage to equipment and transmission lines.

In the higher reaches of the Dhauladhar, over 30 villages in Chhota Bhanghal and Chuhar Valley have been without power for the past four days. Despite efforts, heavy rain continues to hinder restoration.

The district administration has activated 24x7 control rooms in the SDM offices at Palampur, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur and Dheera. Officials from NHAI, PWD, police and fire services are on high alert. While traffic has been restored on some main highways, clearance of rural roads remains slow due to continuous rainfall.