Shimla, Aug 05: Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district received more than 150 mm of rainfall in the past 12 hours with cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods battering the region, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) informed on Tuesday.
As heavy rains continue to lash the state, 453 roads including four national highways have been closed for vehicular traffic, it said adding that road connectivity between Kullu and Mandi districts has been obstructed due to landslides.
The highest number of closed roads, 321, are in Mandi followed by 68 in Kullu district. Mandi-Jogindernagar road (NH 154), Mandi-Kullu road (NH 21), Mandi-Dharampur road (NH 3) and Aut to Sainj road (NH 305) were closed for vehicular movement on Monday, the SEOC added.
The NH 21 Mandi to Kullu is blocked at nine mile and Pandoh. The alternate route from Mandi to Kullu via Kamand is blocked at Baragal Nalla with a large number of vehicles are stranded en route.
Restoration works are underway, officials said.
Water entered a few houses in Dadur area of Balh valley in Mandi district due to absence of proper drainage on Kiratpur-Manali four lane, reports reaching here said.
“Every year water floods nearby houses in absence of a proper drainage system and despite local administration and National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) authorities being appraised several times nothing has been done so far except formality”, resident Sunil Kumar said.
A drain in Mehatpur town of the Una district overflowed due to sudden floods after heavy rains swept away a person trying to cross the drain. The person is yet to be identified.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is engaged in search and rescue operations. However, no clue of the missing person is found so far.
Around 375 hectares of fields have been flooded in Una district alone, due to which other seasonal crops including maize have been completely destroyed, Deputy Director Agriculture (Una) Kuldip Dhiman said.
River Beas, its tributaries and other drains are in spate and the Hamirpur and Una administration has warned the people not to go near the river and other drains.
The meteorological department has issued an orange alert for very heavy rain at isolated places in four districts — Una, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur on Tuesday. A ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rains in isolated areas in two to three districts has been issued for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the state with Mandi receiving 151.2 mm of rainfall and since Monday evening. It is followed by 104.8 mm in Baggi, 84.1 mm in Sundernagar, 83 mm in Murari Devi, 78 mm in Nadaun, 72 mm in Gohar, 56.3 mm in Karsog, 55.8 mm in Palampur and 53 mm in Pandoh.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, the state has incurred losses totalling to Rs 1,753 crore till date. Around 106 people have died in rain-related incidents while 36 are missing.
Additionally, 753 power distribution transformers and 276 water supply schemes have been affected, the SEOC added.
As many as 1,692 houses have been fully or partially damaged in Himachal Pradesh, which has witnessed 54 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 48 major landslides so far. The fatalities include 20 drownings, 19 deaths from falls, 17 deaths from cloudbursts, eight from flash floods, and six from landslides, it said.
