Cloudburst strikes Himachal again, houses washed away, NH blocked

Since the onset of monsoon on June 24, Himachal Pradesh has suffered ₹5,361-crore losses due to floods, cloudbursts and landslides

A cloudburst in Kandhar village of Rampur sub-division of Shimla caused widespread destruction in the early hours of Wednesday.

People gather near a building destroyed by flash floods and heavy rain in Kandhar village of Rampur in Shimla on Wednesday. (ANI)

The flash flood, triggered by the cloudburst, damaged a school building besides six houses. The National Highway-5 was blocked near Jhakri and Jeori due to landslides triggered by heavy rains, said Rampur sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Nishant Tomar. He said 17 sheep and goats were also swept away in Kandahar of Sarpara panchayat. No loss of life was reported in the incident as sensing the trouble, the people living in the damaged houses ran to safety. Apple orchards were destroyed while flood water entered houses and also damaged some vehicles.

Tomar, who rushed to the flood-hit village, was also stranded on the way due to a blocked road and inclement weather.

He said immediate relief was being provided to the affected families.

Meanwhile, the Chandigarh-Manali highway was again blocked for traffic after a landslide at 6 miles near Pandoh. The highway has been blocked multiple times at the same spot due to repeated landslides. The Mandi district authorities have diverted the traffic.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses amounting to over ₹5,361 crore due to natural calamities such as floods, cloudbursts and landslides.

As per the data of the Emergency Operation Cell of the State Disaster Management Authority, 653 houses have been completely damaged while 6,711 were partially damaged besides 236 shops and 2,061 cow sheds.

The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast rains till July 31 with an orange alert issued for Thursday.

Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides, flash floods, mudslides and increased runoff in rivers and people are advised to stay away from water bodies and avoid unnecessary travel, said Surender Paul, director of IMD’s Shimla Centre.

He said moderate to heavy rainfall activity was witnessed in the state on Wednesday with Jatton Barrage receiving the highest 156mm of rainfall followed by Renuka 120 mm, Nahan 113 mm, Pachhad 103 mm, Rajgarh 74 mm and Sangraha 68 mm rainfall. Kasauli got 63mm of rainfall, Chaupal 54mm, Solan 52, Rampur Bushahr 44mm, Sarahan 43mm and Rohru 40mm. Other parts of the state also received significant rainfall.