Shimla, July 26,
The erratic South West Monsoon system has continued to impact the state of Himachal Pradesh, exacerbating issues caused by poor drainage systems, illegal dumping, and landslides. As many as 15 roads have been disrupted due to these conditions.
Over the past 24 hours, landslides have caused significant disruptions in the districts of Sirmaur, Mandi, and Shimla. A major landslide occurred this morning on the Paonta Sahib-Shilai National Highway in Sirmaur, trapping two trucks. Fortunately, the occupants of both trucks managed to escape unharmed. The highway was closed for all vehicles but was reopened after approximately five hours.
In Mandi, landslides have affected two locations on the National Highway. At Lagdhar in Kotli, a mixer truck working on the highway was struck by falling rocks and debris. The driver, Rajkumar, narrowly escaped by jumping from the truck. This incident has severed connections between 17 panchayats and Dharampur. Additionally, around 100 meters of the highway at Kumharda collapsed, leading to a complete closure and necessitating the use of alternative routes.
Shimla also experienced a landslide this morning in Chakkar, temporarily disrupting traffic. In Manali, a cloudburst in Palchan last night caused extensive damage.
Today, a total of 15 roads are closed across Himachal Pradesh due to these landslides. Additionally, 62 distribution transformers are down in the state, with 43 of these outages occurring in Mandi district alone.
Reports indicate that the Manali-Leh highway was partially restored by the BRO last evening following a cloudburst near Manali on Thursday.
In the past 24 hours, rainfall measurements have been recorded as follows: Dharamshala received 53.6 mm of rain, Shimla 50 mm, Brahmani 46.4 mm, Sundernagar 45 mm, Gohar 40 mm, Slapper 32.3 mm, and Baggi 31 mm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that monsoon activities are likely to become more aggressive from July 28 onwards for the next three days.
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