Himachal under red alert: Heavy rain lashes 10 districts, landslide threat in 18 zones; 129 roads shut

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a landslide warning for 18 out of 22 monitored locations in Himachal Pradesh following continuous heavy rainfall across the state. The weather office also flagged risks of flash floods and disruption of essential services as rains pounded several districts under a “red” alert.

The incessant downpour has led to the closure of 129 roads and disrupted electricity supply in at least 612 locations. Water supply lines have also been impacted in multiple areas. The maximum damage to roads was reported from Sirmaur (57 closures) and Mandi (44).

The Himachal Pradesh State Emergency Operation Centre confirmed three more fatalities in rain-related incidents over the past 24 hours — one each in Una, Bilaspur, and Shimla districts — bringing the total number of deaths since the onset of monsoon on June 20 to 20. 

On Sunday, the IMD issued a “red” alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur districts, prompting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to order the closure of schools in these regions on June 30. District officials in Kangra and Mandi confirmed that government and private schools, excluding medical institutions and IIT Mandi, remained shut on Monday.

“Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur at a few places in the districts of Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur; isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Shimla districts; and heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Kullu and Chamba districts till Monday evening,” the Met office had said in its revised alert.

The impact has been widespread. A landslide on the Shimla-Kalka national highway (NH-5) caused a two- to three-kilometre-long traffic jam near Koti. Rail services on the Shimla-Kalka UNESCO heritage route were also suspended as boulders and trees blocked tracks. Videos surfaced online showing stranded passengers at Koti, Gumman, and Kalka stations.

In Solan district, a bridge near the Truck Union in Barotiwala was washed away, severing access to the Himuda Complex at Mandhala and Bagguwala. The Bald River surged dangerously near Jhadmajri, where water reportedly entered more than 20 homes in Shivalik Nagar.

Rains also disrupted operations at the Dehar Power House. Officials from the Bhakra Beas Management Board said all five spillway gates of the Pandoh dam were opened during pre-monsoon flushing. This raised the Beas River’s water level to 44,000 cusecs, increased silt content to 4,000 ppm, and forced the temporary shutdown of the Baggi tunnel and power generation.

In Mandi, rising water levels in the Juni Khad and Beas prompted the local administration to urge residents to avoid riverbanks. Flash flood warnings remain in place across 10 districts — Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, and Una.

Thunderstorms were reported in Sundernagar, Murari Devi, Kangra, Shimla, Kufri, and Jubberhatti. Kukumseri recorded the lowest night temperature at 14.3°C.

The Met department has warned of continued wet conditions till July 5 and has advised residents and travellers to avoid landslide-prone and low-lying areas. In 2023, Himachal Pradesh saw its worst monsoon disaster in recent history, with over 550 deaths due to extreme weather events.

(With inputs from PTI)