Monsoon fury batters Kangra

The ongoing monsoon season has brought unprecedented destruction to Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, with Darini and Dharamsala tehsils emerging as epicentres of devastation after Nurpur and Indora. Torrential rains have triggered massive landslides, leading to widespread road blockages, isolation of villages and disruption of essential services.

In Darini tehsil, a part of the Shahpur subdivision long known for its fragile slopes, several crucial routes, including Kareri-Ghera, Shahpur-Darini and Darini-Boh, remain closed. “The terrain is delicate, but we are clearing debris on war footing to restore traffic at the earliest,” assured Kartar Chand, SDM, Shahpur.

Dharamsala tehsil, famed for its tourist influx and hilly terrain, has also suffered severe blows. The main approaches to McLeodganj have either collapsed or sunk, while peripheral roads at Slate Godaam, Heeru, Thathri and Indrunag lie badly damaged. Even villages like Sudher, which fall under Dharamsala tehsil but Shahpur constituency, have faced massive destruction.

At Sudher, tragedy struck when a sudden flow of debris led to the collapse of a cowshed, killing 15 goats belonging to a villager, Arjun. Local MLA Kewal Pathania visited the spot, assuring immediate relief under the Disaster Management Act.

The Public Works Department (PWD) reported that 12 roads in Shahpur remain blocked, followed by eight in Bhawarna, seven in Nagrota Bagwan, six in Dharamsala, four each in Palampur and Jawalamukhi and one in Jaisinghpur. On a rare sunny day, PWD teams worked round the clock to restore connectivity, but the plight of students, office-goers, and daily commuters continues amid severely disrupted transport facilities.