87 roads shut, MeT says wet spell in Himachal to continue till Sept 10

Of the 87 roads closed, Mandi accounted for the highest number at 37, followed by Kullu, 22, Kangra 8, Chamba 5, Sirmaur and Una, 4 each, Shimla 3, Solan 2, and Lahaul-Spiti and Bilaspur, one each, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

A total of 87 roads were closed in Himachal Pradesh following rainfall, even as the India Meteorological Department on Friday issued a yellow alert, warning of heavy rains in isolated areas of Kangra and Sirmaur districts on September 5.

The Nalagarh-Shimla route via Ramshahr was once again disrupted after heavy rainfall late Thursday evening caused a landslide near the Kumarhatti-Mitiyan stretch.

Light to moderate rain continued in some parts of the state, officials said. Nahan in Sirmaur district has received 67.3 mm of rain since Thursday evening, followed by Jogindarnagar (57 mm), Nadaun (52.6 mm) and Jatton Barrage and Bharwain (40 mm each), Dharamshala (34.4 mm), Naina Devi (34.2 mm), Kataula (26.1 mm) and Neri (20 mm).

Of the 87 roads closed, Mandi accounted for the highest number at 37, followed by Kullu, 22, Kangra 8, Chamba 5, Sirmaur and Una, 4 each, Shimla 3, Solan 2, and Lahaul-Spiti and Bilaspur, one each, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). Additionally, 27 power transformers and 19 water supply schemes have been hit.

The IMD, Shimla, has forecast the wet spell to continue in Himachal till September 10. The weather office said that light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places over the state, with heavy rain likely at isolated places on September 5.

While light to moderate rainfall is expected at a few places over the state on September 6, light rain is likely at isolated places over the state on the remaining days of the week. For September 5, the weather office has also sounded a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Kangra and Sirmaur districts.

Nalagarh-Shimla road link disrupted

The Nalagarh-Shimla route via Ramshahr was once again disrupted after heavy rainfall late Thursday evening caused a landslide near the Kumarhatti-Mitiyan stretch.

This resulted in a complete closure of the route. The affected stretch also witnessed a massive landslide during last year’s monsoon. The district administration has urged commuters to use alternative routes. Since the onset of the monsoon on June 30, at least 108 people have died statewide in rain-related incidents, while the state has suffered losses estimated at ₹1,237 crore, officials said.