Rain batters Kangra, man swept away

Relentless rainfall over the past three days has thrown life out of gear in Kangra district, leaving a trail of destruction marked by a fatality, widespread road blockages and extensive property damage.

Gurdev Singh (73) was swept away by a swollen khud in the Nurpur area. The district is grappling with massive disruptions in road connectivity due to landslides. According to the official data, 66 roads were still closed in Palampur, Dehra and Nurpur circles.

The Palampur circle with 38 roads blocked is the hardest hit. Shahpur tops the list with 12 roads closed, followed by Bhawarna (8), Nagrota Bagwan (7), Dharamsala (6), Palampur (4) and Jaisinghpur (1). In the Dehra circle, six roads were impassable (4 in Jwalamukhi and 2 in Kotla Behr). As may as 22 roads in the Nurpur circle are closed, including 11 in Nurpur division, nine in Fatehpur and two in Indora.

District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa said that the restoration work on priority routes was underway but was continuously being hampered by persistent rainfall and the looming threat of more landslides. He urged commuters to avoid travelling on the affected roads.

The deluge has also caused extensive structural damage in the past 24 hours. As many as 11 houses have collapsed and 44 others have developed cracks, while 52 cowsheds have been damaged, leaving several families struggling to safeguard their livestock.