Shimla, Aug 14 (PTI) Cloudbursts and flash floods in several districts of Himachal Pradesh have wreaked massive destruction, with 472 roads closed for traffic, houses damaged, vehicles washed away, and even a death being reported, officials said on Thursday.
A total of 472 roads, including National Highways 305 (Aut-Sainj road) and NH-505 Khab to Gramphoo, have been closed for traffic. Of these, 162 roads are in Mandi district, 99 in Shimla, 74 in Kullu, and 66 in Sirmaur district, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
Since Wednesday evening, the state has recorded three cloudbursts, three flash floods, four floods, and two landslides.
A 20-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a boulder in Rampur, Shimla, while a person has been missing after being swept away in the swelling Parvati river on Thursday.
The deceased, identified as Mira Hamza (20), a resident of Taklech, was hit by a boulder near Kholti Nala. She was rushed to the Khaneri Hospital, where she died.
Cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides hit several places in Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts on Wednesday evening.
A cloudburst hit Shrikhand hill in Nirmand subdivision, and Bathadh hill of Tirthan valley in Banjar subdivision in Kullu district, and another struck Nanti in Shimla's Rampur area on Wednesday night.
Due to the cloudburst at Shrikhand hill, the Kurpan ravine was flooded, and the Bagipul market was immediately evacuated. Some cottages on the bank of the Tirthan river were damaged, and a few vehicles were washed away, officials said.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh mentioned that an administration team has been tasked with assessing the damage. Some cottages have been damaged and vehicles washed away, but no loss of life has been reported so far, she said.
To prevent any untoward incident, educational institutions in the Jubbal sub-division of Shimla have been closed due to the rain and landslides.
The rains also affected the water supply to Shimla due to the heavy flow of water in the pumping stations. Sahil Sharma, spokesperson for the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited, warned that most areas will face water shortages on Thursday, as intake from sources has dropped to negligible levels.
Sirmaur's Rajgarh region was hit by a landslide that killed four cattle, damaged a cowshed, left a person injured, and swept a parked car nearly 100 metres down a slope.
In Kinnaur, a flash flood at Hojo Nallah in Pooh swept away two campers, a Bolero, a JCB, a tipper, and a bailey bridge. The Indian Army rescued four people, including one injured individual, after flash floods hit the higher reaches of the Rishi Dogri valley on Wednesday evening.
The Yamuna river has been in spate due to intermittent heavy rains for the past 24 hours in Himachal and Uttarakhand, and the water level of the river in the Paonta sahib area in Sirmaur district has touched the danger mark.
Yamuna's tributaries- Giri, Tons, and Bata rivers are also inundated due to heavy rain, and a large quantity of water has been released from the Jattaun Barrage, according to the Disaster Management Authority.
All activities have been banned on the banks of the rivers flowing in the Paonta area. Divers and police personnel have been deployed at the Yamuna Ghat adjacent to Paonta.
Additionally, 721 power supply transformers and 192 water supply schemes have been disrupted in the state, the SEOC said.
Since the arrival of monsoons in Himachal Pradesh on June 20, the state has incurred losses to the tune of Rs 2104 crore, officials said.
As many as 130 people have died in rain-related incidents, and 36 are missing. The state has witnessed 71 flash flood incidents, 34 cloudbursts, and 60 major landslides so far.