Monsoon retreat likely as Himachal reels from floods, landslides

Shimla: Conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from certain parts of Himachal Pradesh as it has remained inactive, officials said on Tuesday, adding that restoration works in disaster-affected areas are underway.

"Conditions are favourable for withdrawal of monsoon from parts of Himachal in the next 24 to 48 hours", said weather scientist Sandeep Kumar on Tuesday.

"The ongoing monsoon has recorded an average of 1,023.4 mm so far. This season has seen the highest total rainfall since 1995, which recorded 1,029.7 mm. However, the final data would be calculated on September 30," he added.

Light rainfall was observed in isolated areas, with Jogindernagar receiving 6 mm, Sarahan recording 2.5 mm, and Narkanda receiving 0.5 mm, according to the local MeT office.

Since the onset of the monsoon this year, which began on June 1, Himachal Pradesh has received an average rainfall of 1,023.4 mm, surpassing the normal rainfall of 717.6 mm by 43 per cent.

The Himalayan state has witnessed 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods and 148 major landslides, while 451 people have died, since the monsoon began this year. Of those dead, 262 lost their lives in rain-related incidents and 189 in road accidents. Additionally, 497 individuals have been injured, and 47 people are still reported missing.

As of Tuesday morning, 340 roads across the state remain closed, including two national highways: NH 3 (Attari-Leh road) and NH-503A (Amritsar-Bhota road). Mandi and Kullu districts have been the hardest hit, with 109 and 106 roads closed, respectively, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

Additionally, 45 power transformers and 77 water supply schemes have been impacted, leading to estimated losses of Rs 4,861 crore so far, the SEOC reported.

The state government is actively working to restore normalcy in the affected regions and is assisting those impacted by the natural disasters.