Himachal’s wounds deepen: Monsoon eases but 600 roads remain impassable

Even as the monsoon’s relentless downpours begin to relent across Himachal Pradesh, the state remains scarred, with nearly 600 roads — including four major national highways — still barricaded and impassable.

Kullu district has the highest number of blocked roads at 216, followed by Mandi with 150 closures. Key affected highways include NH-3 (Attari-Leh), NH-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet Road), NH-305 (Aut-Sainj Road), and NH-503A (Amritsar-Bhota Road). In total, 586 roads are still shut despite improving weather conditions.

The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported that floods and landslides have disrupted 571 power transformers and 378 water supply schemes.

Since the onset of the monsoon on 20 June, 380 people have died due to rain-related incidents and road accidents. Of these, 48 were killed in landslides, 17 in cloudbursts, 11 in flash floods, and 165 in road accidents. Another 40 people remain missing. The state has suffered losses estimated at Rs 4,306 crore.

Monsoon activity remains weak, with light rainfall recorded across the state over the past 24 hours: Mandi 9.2 mm, Bajura 9 mm, Kangra 8.5 mm, Brahmani 8.2 mm, Jogindernagar 8 mm, Dhaulakuan 7.5 mm, Dharamshala 7 mm, Naina Devi 6.4 mm, and Palampur 6 mm. Thunderstorms were reported in Kangra and Palampur.

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains and thunderstorms in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Sirmaur on Saturday, with Kangra continuing to be at risk on Sunday.

With PTI inputs