Sirmaur drowns in grief and ruin

Relentless rains battering Sirmaur district for the past two days have triggered devastation across the region, claiming lives, sweeping away livestock, blocking highways and submerging villages under rising floodwaters.

In Chauraas village near Nohradhar, tragedy struck late Sunday night when a massive landslide engulfed a house and cowshed. The structure was reduced to rubble, killing 38-year-old Sheela Devi, wife of Mohan Lal. Villagers braved the early morning downpour to recover her body from the debris. Alongside the house, four head of cattle were also buried alive. The local administration, led by the Tehsildar of Nohradhar, provided the bereaved family with an immediate relief of Rs 25,000.

The fury of nature was equally evident on the roads. The Paonta Sahib-Shillai-Gumma National Highway 707 caved in at Kachchi Dang, cutting off traffic. Landslides choked nearly a dozen more points along this stretch, leaving commuters stranded. The Nahan-Sarahan-Kumarhatti-Shimla highway too was blocked at Gandhi Gram, Kanlog and Banethi, before being partially restored by afternoon. Reports also emerged of a cloudburst near Bhureshwar Mahadev Temple, swelling rivulets and seasonal streams.

Adding to the peril, the Yamuna in Paonta Sahib swelled dangerously close to the red mark. The riverbanks overflowed, submerging the holy Yamuna Aarti Ghat, prompting authorities to ban public movement near the site. Meanwhile, seven of the 10 floodgates of Giri Jaton barrage had to be opened to release water as the Giri river rose alarmingly, raising flood threats in the plains.

The toll on infrastructure has been staggering. According to the Public Works Department, 171 roads were blocked across Sirmaur, including 34 in Sangrah, 45 in Shillai, 23 each in Nahan and Rajgarh, 27 in Paonta Sahib and 18 in Sarahan division. By Monday evening, 111 of them were cleared, while 60 more are expected to reopen by Tuesday night. The department alone reported a loss of Rs 9.81 crore within a single day. The district administration has pegged the overall damage at nearly Rs 10 crore. Crops, too, have suffered extensive losses, compounding the miseries of farmers.

The human and animal toll has been severe. In addition to Sheela Devi’s death and four cattle lost in Chauraas, Melaram of Bharari village reported the death of eight cattle worth Rs 1.30 lakh, while his cowshed sustained damage worth another Rs 10,000. In Shamsherpur cantonment near Nahan, Jitendra Singh’s house suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh. In Rajgarh subdivision, Ved Prakash’s house in Chakhal Dungi village was completely razed, causing damage worth Rs 7 lakh.

The scale of rainfall has been extraordinary. Nohradhar recorded 200 mm in 24 hours, followed by 190 mm in Shillai, 178 mm in Nahan and 140 mm in Rajgarh. Power and water supply were also hit hard. As many as 691 transformers were disrupted, 625 of them in Rajgarh alone and 89 water supply schemes remained non-functional.

Rescue operations were mounted in flood-hit pockets. At Bangran village near Paonta Sahib, the swollen Giri river threatened to wash away land near the bridge. Over 50 residents had to be evacuated to safety by the administration. In the process, a Lift Irrigation Scheme at Bangran No. 2 was destroyed, with its sump well and five submersible pump sets swept away.

Elsewhere, in Pachhad subdivision, a landslide crashed into the Anganwadi centre at Chandog village, tearing down its rear wall and damaging records, furniture, and food stock. Water also entered the adjoining government primary school building, disrupting services.

The district administration had preemptively ordered the closure of all educational institutions on Monday, while teachers were directed to conduct online classes from home. Deputy Commissioner Sirmaur confirmed that teams of PWD, Jal Shakti, and electricity departments are working round the clock to restore essential services.

What began as two days of incessant monsoon showers has now turned into a humanitarian crisis, leaving scars on lives, livelihoods and landscapes in Sirmaur. With more rain predicted, residents remain on edge, anxiously watching the rivers that threaten to overrun their fragile hillsides.