Sirmaur under water: 17 lives lost, infra worth Rs 105 crore damaged

Relentless rainfall over the past two and a half months has left Sirmaur district reeling under massive destruction, with official estimates pegging the total loss at Rs 105.28 crore. The disaster has claimed 17 lives, while another 17 persons sustained injuries in rain-related accidents and calamities.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has suffered the heaviest blow, reporting damages worth Rs 60.31 crore to roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The Jal Shakti Department follows with losses of Rs 36.90 crore, while the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has reported damage worth Rs 5.31 crore.

Several other departments too have borne the brunt of nature’s fury. The Animal Husbandry Department reported losses of Rs 2 lakh from 10 cases, while the Health Department recorded damages worth Rs 26.36 lakh to its buildings. The Fisheries Department reported losses of Rs 7.20 lakh, while the Agriculture Department’s losses amounted to nearly Rs 59.47 lakh. Community assets worth Rs 2.40 lakh have also been damaged. Educational infrastructure has not been spared either, with the Elementary Education Department suffering losses of Rs 8.39 lakh and the Higher Education Department recording damages worth Rs 71.73 lakh.

The disaster has also hit rural households and farmers hard. Nineteen cattle perished, causing losses of about Rs 4.70 lakh to villagers. Three families lost their concrete houses worth Rs 15 lakh, while four families reported damages of Rs 2.40 lakh to their mud houses. Thirty-four more concrete houses suffered partial damage amounting to Rs 21.74 lakh and 27 mud houses recorded partial damage worth Rs 8 lakh.

In 22 locations across the district, retaining walls and embankments collapsed, causing an additional loss of Rs 14 lakh. Three shops were destroyed, resulting in a loss of Rs 4.20 lakh. Farmers were particularly hard hit as 59 cowsheds were washed away or damaged beyond repair, adding up to Rs 9.15 lakh in losses. Adding to the woes, four cases of fire during this period accounted for damages worth Rs 18.16 lakh.

The grim statistics underline the scale of devastation that Sirmaur has endured in less than three months of monsoon. For families who lost homes, cattle and livelihoods, the numbers are more than financial estimates — they represent years of struggle wiped away in a matter of hours by the fury of rain.