Red alert in 2 Himachal districts as rain batters state; 1,161 roads closed; over 2,400 transformers hit

Heavy rainfall continues to batter Himachal Pradesh as the state's Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Solan and Sirmaur districts, resulting in extreme rainfall in isolated areas of these districts. An orange weather warning has also been issued for Shimla, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts for the next few hours, leading to heavy rains in these districts. Furthermore, a yellow weather warning has also been issued for Kinnaur and Chamba districts.

As a result of heavy rainfall, water levels of the Sutlej river has risen and is touching Thali bridge in Sunni, Shimla district. The river bank area at Kalighat and ITI, Sunni, is inundated. As a precautionary measure, two families from the area were shifted to safer places.

As many as 1,161 roads, including seven National Highways (NH), remain blocked for vehicular traffic as a result of heavy downpour that continues to wreak havoc across the state.

As per the State Emergency Operation Centre, as many as 283 roads, including NH-3, are blocked in Mandi; 234 are blocked in Shimla; 205 roads, including NH 305, are non-operational in Kullu; 138, including NH 707, in Sirmaur; 92 roads are closed in Solan; 60 in Kangra; 49, including NH 505, in Lahaul and Spiti; 39, including NH 21 and 205, in Bilaspur; 37 roads in Una; 13 roads, including NH 05 in Kinnaur; and 12 roads are blocked in Hamirpur district.

Also, about 2,477 distribution transformers, including 951 in Kullu, 529 in Solan, 273 in Sirmaur, 266 in Mandi, 258 in Shimla, 87 in Lahaul and Spiti, 59 in Hamirpur, 32 in Kinnaur, 20 in Una and two in Kangra district, also remain disrupted, affecting the electricity supply in many parts of the state.

Meanwhile, the state continued to receive extremely heavy rain in isolated areas along with very heavy to heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours. Naina Devi in Bilaspur received 136 mm rainfall, which was the highest in the state. Pacchadi in Sirmaur district received 77 mm, Chamba 66 mm, Bilaspur 60.4 mm, Manali 57 mm, Palampur 52.6 mm, Nahan 43.2 mm, Keylong 34 mm, Dharamshala 32.8 mm, Shimla 30.8 mm, Bhuntar 30.4 mm, Kufri 29 mm, Kangra 20.7 mm, Mandi 19.8 mm, Kalpa 14.2 mm and Sundernagar received 12.7 mm rainfall.