As rain pounded Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive day on Monday, several residents in low-lying areas of Mandi are refusing to leave their houses fearing damage to their properties.
In several videos, superintendent of police Mandi Soumya Sambasivan is seen interacting with residents and urging them to leave homes immediately due to flood risk. She, however, managed to evacuate 80 people residing in juggis (slums) to local gurudwaras in Mandi.
"There is a state of complete disaster in Mandi district. Many buildings, bridges and parking lots have been washed away. Our local teams and SHOs have done good work in evacuating citizens," Sambasivan told news agency ANI.
The state braced for another day of downpours with the Met office issuing a red alert for "extremely heavy rain", officials said.
{{/usCountry}}The state braced for another day of downpours with the Met office issuing a red alert for "extremely heavy rain", officials said.
{{/usCountry}}Heavy rain pounded the state, triggering landslides, damaging houses and leaving several people deal, on Sunday. The meteorological department issued a red alert for “extremely heavy” rain in the state on Monday.
In a late-night operation on Sunday, personnel of the National Disaster Response Force rescued six people stranded in Nagwayin village in Mandi due to the rise in the water level of Beas River, they said.
Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places while educational institutions across the state were ordered to remain shut on Monday and Tuesday.
Himachal Pradesh CM issues helpline numbers
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a video released on Monday morning, appealed to the people to avoid venturing out in heavy rains, especially near rivers and nullahs, and remain vigilant for the next 24 hours as the Met department has warned of heavy rains.
He also asked all the MLAs to stay in their respective constituencies and help the people in this hour of distress.
He said that the state government has released three numbers - 1100, 1070 and 1077 -- to help people in distress.
The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway is blocked due to landslides and flooding at several places and Shimla-Kinnaur road is also closed for vehicular traffic due to slides and falling of rocks.