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Himachal rain: Ravi cuts off Kangra’s Bada Bhangal, buildings washed away
NDRF rescues more than 400 students of Arni University, landslide damages boundary wall of Kangra airport.
The Ravi river that is in spate following heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district cut off the remote village of Bada Bhangal, located at an altitude of 7,800 feet, and washed away government buildings besides damaging infrastructure on Thursday.
Kangra deputy commissioner Hemraj Bairwa said the flooded river had damaged public property in the remote village, which is accessible only by foot through treacherous high-altitude passes.
A landslide damaged the boundary wall at Kangra airport, leading the administration to make temporary arrangements to deal with security threats.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued more than 400 students of Arni University in Kangra district on Wednesday night, while waterlogging was reported in Indora and Fatehpur sub divisions after the water was released from the Pong Dam.
More than seven NDRF teams have been deputed on both sides of the dam as a precautionary measure
DC Bairwa said a loss of more than ₹460 crore and 48 deaths have been reported from Kangra during this monsoon.
Chandigarh-Manali NH blocked
Amid continuous rainfall, the Chandigarh-Manali highway was closed due to a landslide in Banala. Officials said restoration work is underway.
Heavy rainfall in Kullu district led to a portion of the highway being washed away as the Beas River flows in spate.
Kullu deputy commissioner Torul S Raveesh said parts of the district were being evacuated as water levels rose sharply. “The national highway has been damaged at many points. The situation worsened after two days of incessant rain. NH 3 is damaged at Bindu Dhank. There is waterlogging in the bus stand. In Bahang, restaurants and shops are affected due to waterlogging. Mining link roads are also disrupted. An orange alert has been issued,” she said.
The Chandigarh-Manali national highway has been closed for traffic from Pandoh to Aut in Mandi district for the past three days. Due to this, hundreds of cargo vehicles are stranded on the highway. A few vehicles were buried in debris near Banala in Aut.
In Chamba, four days of heavy rainfall have endangered the Holi Bazaar area. Due to the strong flow of the Ravi, the ground beneath the market and nearby houses is eroding, putting many at risk.
Mobile connectivity disrupted
Most parts of Kullu, Chamba, and Lahaul-Spiti districts don’t have mobile connectivity for the past three days. Roads, water, and electricity supply are also disrupted. As a result, families of tourists stranded in Chamba, Manali, and Lahaul-Spiti are unable to contact them.
More than 2,000 tourists and pilgrims on the Manimahesh Yatra are stuck in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti. Efforts are underway to restore the damaged roads.
The Indian meteorological department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi for Thursday and Friday. A yellow alert for heavy rainfall is in place in Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Mandi, and on August 29 in Shimla and Mandi.
Additionally, an orange alert has been issued for August 30-31 in Mandi, Shimla, and Solan. Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and Shimla are also on an orange alert on August 31.
This monsoon, the state has witnessed 85 landslides, 90 flash floods and 42 cloudbursts, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.
According to the SDMA, as of Wednesday evening, 582 roads, including two national highways, remained blocked, 1,155 electricity distribution transformers (DTRs) were disrupted, and 346 water supply schemes were out of service.
