Monsoon withdrawal favourable as Himachal faces flood, landslide aftermath; 340 roads closed

Shimla, Sep 23 (PTI) Conditions are becoming favourable for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from certain parts of Himachal Pradesh as the monsoon remained inactive, officials said on Tuesday, adding that restoration works in disaster-affected areas is underway.

The state witnessed light rainfall in isolated areas, with Jogindernagar receiving 6 mm, Sarahan recording 2.5 mm, and Narkanda receiving 0.5 mm of rain, as per the local Met office.

During the ongoing monsoon season, 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.

Since the onset of monsoon this year, the Himalayan state has witnessed 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods and 148 major landslides, while 451 people have died. Of those dead, 262 lost their lives in rain-related incidents and 189 in road accidents. About 497 people have suffered injuries, while 47 are still 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 worst affected, with 109 and 106 roads closed, respectively, as per 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 continues to work on restoring normalcy in the affected regions and provides aid to those impacted by the natural calamities. PTI BPL HIG HIG