On August 24, several houses collapsed due to landslides in the town of Anni in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Several people are feared buried under the rubble. The incessant rains in Himachal have caused landslides, cloudstorms and flash floods, causing massive damage to this environmentally sensitive mountainous state.
Meanwhile, on August 23, hundreds of vehicles were stranded in Kullu district after rain damaged the Kullu-Mandi road. In this regard, Sakshi Verma, SP of Kullu said, “The two roads connecting Kullu district to Mandi were damaged by rain.The alternate route through Pandoh is also damaged. The PWD is trying to pave the way…”
In addition, the Himachal Traffic Police also reported that the Kennedy-Annadale road was blocked due to a fallen tree, while the NH-705 Theog-Hatkoti road was blocked due to a landslide near Chalnair.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy or very heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh over the next few days, the ANI said. The Weather Service also issued an orange warning on August 24 for heavy to very heavy precipitation ranging from 115.6 to 204.4 mm (4.5to 8 inches) in the Hill State.
The government of Himachal Pradesh declares the entire state a “disaster area”. According to the latest figures from the state government, total financial losses in Himachal due to heavy rains so far stand at £10,000m. A total of 2,022 homes were completely damaged and 9,615 partially damaged, with 113 landslides occurring during this year’s monsoon season. According to a government report, a total of 224 people died in the state in the monsoon storm and 117 people in traffic accidents.