Rain batters life in Himachal Pradesh’ s Kangra & Sirmour
Nahan, August 22
Heavy monsoon rain battered normal life in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday as with rising of water level and rolling down of boulders on the highway in Kangra district.
While Himachal Pradesh continues to witness claims of improved infrastructure and connectivity, the plight of Kiyari village in the Renuka Assembly constituency of Sirmaur district presents a stark contrast. During the monsoon, parents are being forced to carry their children across a swollen river so that they can attend school.
Continuous rainfall recently caused the river flowing near the village to swell, cutting off Kiyari from the surrounding areas for several days. The situation disrupted the education of schoolchildren, who could not attend classes for nearly eight days as parents feared for their safety.
On Friday, after the water level receded following a break in the rain, parents cautiously helped their children cross the river and took them to school. Images of parents carrying children across the swollen water have highlighted the risks faced by villagers every monsoon.
Villagers said the problem is not confined to the recent spell of heavy rain. Every monsoon, the rising water level turns the route into a dangerous crossing and effectively cuts off the village. While the road remains accessible during normal weather, it becomes difficult and potentially life-threatening when the river is in spate.
The condition of alternative routes is also reported to be poor. Villagers alleged that road construction work towards the village has remained incomplete, adding to their difficulties during the rainy season.
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The lack of reliable connectivity has also raised concerns over medical emergencies. Villagers said that in case of a serious illness, accident or a pregnant woman requiring urgent medical attention, reaching the main road and accessing an ambulance could become extremely difficult.
The villagers have urged the government, district administration and Public Works Department to inspect the site and provide a permanent solution. They have demanded completion of the pending road work and construction of a safe bridge over the river.
They said children should not have to risk their lives every monsoon simply to attend school. The recurring crisis, they added, exposes the gap between claims of modern infrastructure and the ground realities faced by people in remote rural areas.
Meanwhile, on the NH-503 Ranital-Kangra section of the Shimla-Mataur Corridor, a landslide occurred near Bathu Bridge at around 4 PM on Saturday. According to the National Highways Authority of India, an Alto car moved off the carriageway during the incident, but all occupants were safe.
NHAI promptly diverted traffic onto the left carriageway as a precautionary measure. The affected stretch forms part of an approximately one-kilometre-long landslide-prone hill slope, which remains particularly vulnerable during the monsoon.
NHAI said comprehensive slope stabilisation and rectification measures have been planned for the stretch and would be undertaken by the contractor at its own cost, on the lines of similar works carried out on the Parwanoo-Solan section of NH-05.
The highway authority has advised commuters to exercise caution and strictly follow lane discipline while passing through the affected section.
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