Incessant rains snap air, rail, and road communication in Himachal; leaving 72 dead

Chief Minister Sukhivinder Singh Sukhu said around Rs 4000 Crore worth of property has been damaged and washed in the rainfall.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Haryana Chief Minister Manhor Khatar called up Sukhu expressing shock over the loss of life and property in the rain-related incidents.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Solan, and Hamirpur districts with the forecast of moderate to heavy rain, thundershowers at most places and extremely heavy rain, thundershower at one or two places.

Eight people were reported missing, amidst fears they might have drowned in flash floods or buried in landslides.

A state government official said relief and rescue operation has been hit owing to the inclement weather.

According to the met office, about 300 to 350 mm of rainfall has been recorded in the last 72 hrs.

With the death of 18 people in the last 24 hours, the toll has mounted to 72. About 94 people suffered injuries.

Moreover, most of the link and major roads, national highways, rail, air, water supply and power services have been disrupted by flash floods, landslides, and the obstructions created by falling heavy boulders.

Reports arriving from Kinnaur said despite the tribal district receiving fewer showers, the continuous downpour disrupted road communication between Shimla and Kinnaur districts due to the closing down of the Hindustan Tibet National Highway.

The condition of National Highway 305 on Luhri Aani Banjar Road is not suitable for risk-free traffic movement.

A car fell down at Peepalhati on Kaidas road under Nirmand police station of Kullu on Monday killing four occupants and leaving one injured.

National Highway Authority of India's Executive Engineer KL Suman said the National Highway connecting Shimla and Kinnaur is blocked at many places and the condition of Ani Banjar NH is also worse.

Altogether 838 major roads, including four National Highways, are blocked in the state. Around 4686 distribution transformers and 785 water supply schemes are affected. Five bridges were washed down in the flash floods.

District administrations of Shimla, Kullu, and Kinnuar have warned people and migrant workers to not go near the spate Sutlej and Beas rivers. Apart from flashflood and insistent rainfall, the discharge of water from dams to desilt hydro projects has turned the situation grim.

The floodgates of Baspa, Wangto and Nathpa Dams have been opened and power generation is shut down in 3414 power projects. Sutlej River is also posing danger to the houses built on its banks.

NDRF personnel are trying to evacuate tourists and migrant workers who are stranded on either bank of the Sutlej and Beas rivers.

On Sunday, the NDRF rescued nine persons in Kullu. Six persons were also rescued from the Nagwayin area of Mandi district.

Train services on the Kalka-Shimla Railway line were suspended after a rail car derailed on Saturday evening.

The business of apple and tomato growers has also been hit by the lack of transportation. The agriculture and Horticulture Rs 70 Crore have been affected

The state administration has canceled the leave of officers and officials and ordered them to immediately join their duty to assist in relief and restoration works, Officials have been directed to not proceed on leave without prior approval of the higher authority.

Himachal Pradesh High Court and all district courts in the state have been closed down on July 10 and 11.

The flood waters could cause havoc in the catchment area of Haryana, Punjab, NCR Delhi, and Rajasthan, with all major rivers flowing above the danger mark.

[with UNI inputs]