SHIMLA, July 18 — Relentless monsoon rain has triggered the closure of 250 roads across Himachal Pradesh, with the state’s emergency authorities reporting significant damage to infrastructure and continued risk of flash floods and landslides.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 181 of the affected roads are in the disaster-hit Mandi district, 26 in Sirmaur, and 23 in Kullu. Additionally, 61 water supply schemes and 81 power distribution transformers have been disrupted.
The local meteorological department has issued an orange alert warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated areas of the state on July 21 and 23. A yellow alert has also been issued for scattered heavy showers till Sunday.
“People in vulnerable areas are advised to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel during this period,” a Met official said.
Light to moderate rainfall was recorded in various parts of the state on Thursday evening, with Jogindernagar receiving 40 mm, Sarahan 38 mm, and Jatton Barrage 28.6 mm. Other significant readings included Kothi (28.4 mm), Shilaroo (26.4 mm), Murari Devi (26 mm), and Narkanda and Jot (23 mm each).
Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, the SEOC said Himachal has reported 112 deaths — 67 due to rain-related incidents and 45 in road accidents. As many as 199 people have been injured, and 35 remain missing.
The state has so far witnessed 31 flash floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 19 landslides, with total estimated losses exceeding ₹1,220 crore.
