Since the monsoon’s onset on June 20, Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing torrential rains, which have caused cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides. These rain-related incidents have wreaked havoc in the hill state, with Mandi district being hit the worst.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), as many as 78 deaths have been reported in the state since the start of the monsoon. However, only 50 were linked to rain-related incidents.
121 other people in the state have reportedly sustained injuries so far.
By Sunday evening, 243 roads were closed in the state, 183 of which were in the Mandi district alone.
The estimated losses from the rains so far are around ₹572 crore, according to the SEOC. However, the chief minister stated that the figure is closer to ₹700 crore as data is still being compiled.
Search and rescue operations on in Mandi
An official said that search and rescue operations are underway with drones and sniffer dogs being used to trace 30 people who went missing in the Thunag, Gohar and Karsog subdivisions of Mandi last week.
About 250 personnel from the National and State Disaster Response Forces, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Home Guards, along with the administration and locals, are undertaking the search and rescue work.
Besides, 20 teams are gathering information and distributing ration and medical kits in inaccessible areas. So far, 1,538 ration kits have been distributed to the affected people and immediate relief of ₹12.44 lakh has been provided.
‘Yellow’ alert by IMD
The local Met office has issued a yellow warning of heavy rain at isolated places in the state till July 10, Thursday.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rain lashed parts of the state. Nangal Dam received 56 mm of rain, followed by Olinda (46 mm), Berthin (44.6 mm), Una (43 mm), Naina Devi (36.4 mm), Gohar (29 mm) and Brahmani (28.4 mm).
CM orders CID probe as wood deposits at Pandoh Dam
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed a CID investigation into the large quantity of wood found deposited at the Pandoh Dam following a recent flood, triggered by a cloud burst on June 24.
Concerned over the timber’s origins and legality, the CM has instructed state authorities to launch a thorough probe.
The Chief Minister has specifically asked to identify whether the wood belonged to the Forest Department or somewhere else.