747 roads shut due to rains in Himachal; MeT forecasts dry spell till Friday

Shimla, Sep 8 (PTI) A total of 747 roads, including three national highways, are closed for vehicular traffic in Himachal Pradesh due to heavy rains, and the local MeT office on Monday predicted dry weather for the next four days till Friday.

National Highways (NH-3) Mandi–Dharampur road, (NH-70) Jalandhar–Mandi road, and (NH-305) Aut–Sainj road are blocked for traffic. Additionally, 959 power transformers and 472 water supply schemes have been disrupted in the state, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

A maximum of 225 roads are closed in the Kullu region, followed by 183 in Mandi and 137 in the Shimla region.

Himachal Pradesh has experienced losses totalling Rs 4,122 crore due to cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains from June 20 to September 8, officials said on Monday.

To date, 370 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents in the state.

Out of the 370 fatalities, 205 were due to rain-related incidents, which include 43 deaths from landslides, 17 from cloudbursts and 9 from flash floods. Additionally, 41 people are still reported missing, while road accidents have accounted for 165 deaths, according to the SEOC.

The monsoon has caused significant damage, with a total of 6,344 houses and 461 shops and factories being fully or partially affected. The frequency of landslides has increased daily, with reports indicating 136 major landslides, 95 flash floods and 45 cloudbursts impacting various regions of the state since the monsoon season began on June 20.

The state recorded an average rainfall of 952.7 mm from June 1 to September 8, which is 45 per cent above the normal rainfall of 657.9 mm. PTI BPL HIG HIG