Record heavy rain for the third day on Monday led to rivers flowing above the danger mark and damaging property across Himachal Pradesh, while road and rail links remained disrupted.
A three-storeyed hotel building in old Manali came crashing down in the gushing waters of the Beas, while landslides disrupted traffic on 1,694 roads after heavy rain in the state.
As many as 2,044 water supply schemes were affected since Sunday. As a result, Shimla town went without water for the third day on Monday. The power house at Chaba near Shimla was inundated. Against a daily requirement of 42 MLD, Shimla town got only 11 MLD of water.
Train services on the Shimla-Kalka heritage line remained suspended for the second day as uprooted trees blocked the track at five places, while debris and boulders due to landslides were found at four places.
The road leading to Shimla’s Jubbarhatti airport was also close due to a landslide. A bridge in Kullu connecting the right and the left banks was also washed away.
Houses were damaged in Thunag in Mandi district where sullage and trees from a local forest depot got washed down, even as heavy rains disrupted the life across the district.
{{/usCountry}}Houses were damaged in Thunag in Mandi district where sullage and trees from a local forest depot got washed down, even as heavy rains disrupted the life across the district.
{{/usCountry}}Mandi director general of police Madhu Sudan visited various places in Mandi town and refuted claims that people were fleeing. “There is no panic despite heavy rains. Police and district administration is providing all possible help,” she said.
In view of the heavy rains, the state government had on Sunday announced the closure of private and government educational institutions for two days.
Red alert in nine districts
The meteorological department has sounded a red alert for nine districts, including Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Solan.
Solan gets 135mm of rainfall on Monday, breaking a 52-year-old record, while Una gets highest rainfall in 30 years.
The revenue department held a meeting in Shimla to take stock of the losses. “The disaster management department held a meeting with all districts to stay alert,” said DC Rana, the chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority.
Toll in Shrikhand yatra rises to four
The toll in the Shrikhand Yatra reached four as 22-year-old Rahul Kumar died at Parvati Bagh after slipping on a glacier.
Amit Nanda of Gujarat and Amar Moyde of Madhya Pradesh died due to shortness of breath, while another follower, Ranvir Singh of Nalagarh, died after falling from the glacier.