Rs 160 crore losses due to heavy rain in Mandi

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 19

Recent heavy rains in Mandi district have caused extensive damage, leading to estimated losses of over Rs 160 crore.

The data gathered by The Tribune reveals that the Public Works Department (PWD) has suffered staggering Rs 97.97 crore losses, Jal Shakti Department Rs 56.88 crore, Education Department Rs 1.43 crore, Agriculture Department Rs 76.28 lakh, Horticulture Department Rs 8.83 lakh and Fisheries Department Rs 4.40 lakh. The damage to public property has been estimated at Rs 15 lakh.

The major damage had occurred at Rajban village in Padhar subdivision of Mandi district due to a cloudburst on July 31 midnight. Three houses were damaged completely and 11 persons were swept away in flashfloods at the village. One person critically injured in the cloudburst was rescued by a team, while 10 members of four families lost their lives in the cloudburst.

Heavy rains had caused severe damage to road infrastructure, affecting roadways services. As a result, landslides occurred the next day and around 160 roads were damaged and blocked. However, efforts were made on a war footing and a majority of blocked roads were restored within two weeks.

One of the most challenging areas is the Chandigarh-Manali highway at 9 Miles near Pandoh in Mandi. This stretch of the highway was severely damaged due to loose soil and continuous debris falling on it following heavy rain, making maintenance difficult.

According to Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, the work on the Chandigarh-Manali national highway at Pandoh is conducted mainly when there is no rain. “At present, traffic on the highway at 9 Miles is restricted to one-way due to the ongoing repair work. Besides, landslides caused the embankment to tilt in the Dayod area, where the four-lane road starts. This situation has necessitated the involvement of the site engineers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and local SDMs, who have been directed to address the problem. Efforts are underway to clear debris from one of the lanes to restore two-way traffic and alleviate congestion,” Devgan said.