106 people died, loss of 1000 crores, many roads closed… Rain became a disaster in Himachal

Heavy rains occurred at many places in Shimla, Bilaspur and Solan in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains with thunderstorms at some places in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on July 16. According to the Meteorological Department, there is no hope of relief from rain till July 21.

The sequence of heavy rains will continue at various places in the state. Due to rain, the maximum temperature in the state has dropped by one to two degrees Celsius. The highest temperature in the state was recorded at 32.5 degrees Celsius in Una and Dhaula Kuan.

So far 106 people have died

According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), heavy rains during the monsoon season have affected life and property and 106 people have died from June 20 to July 15. Of the total deaths, 62 were directly caused by rain-related disasters such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, electrocution and falls, while 44 people died in road accidents during the same period.

15 were caused by cloudbursts, 12 by falling from height (tree/rock), 11 by drowning, 8 by flash floods, 5 each by electrocution and snake bites, and 1 each by landslides and fire. Road accidents caused 44 deaths across all districts, with Mandi (4), Kullu (7) and Kinnaur (5) being the worst affected.

199 roads closed for traffic

384 houses have been completely damaged and 666 houses, 244 shops and 850 cattle sheds have been damaged. Due to rain, 171 drinking water schemes are closed in the state, in which 142 schemes are affected in Mandi district, 18 in Kangra, 11 in Sirmaur.

Due to rain and landslides, 199 roads are closed for traffic in the state, efforts are being made to open them. 141 roads in Mandi district, 35 in Kullu, 10 in Kangra, eight in Sirmaur, three in Una and two in Chamba are blocked. The Himachal government is trying to open them.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday and told him that the state has suffered a loss of about Rs 1000 crore due to flash floods and cloudburst.