Remote Himachal village cut off as govt buildings, bridges washed away by flash floods

Shimla, Aug 28 (PTI) As rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, officials said flash floods in River Ravi have washed away several government buildings at the remote Bada Bangal village in Kangra district.

However, no loss of life has been reported, they said.

"A primary and high school, the panchayat ghar, an ayurvedic dispensary and a civil supplies store that housed about 70 quintals of ration were washed away in lower Bada Bangal on Tuesday. The village has been cut off from the rest of the state as two bridges were also swept away," Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sankalp Gautam told the PTI on Thursday, explaining that the communication has been scant.

The Bada Bangal village, located at an altitude of 7,800 feet and is accessible only by foot through high-altitude Thamsar and Kalihani passes, remains cut off from the rest of the state for four to six months during winters.

"Houses along the banks of River Ravi in lower Bada Bangal were vacated as a precautionary measure. About 180 quintals of ration is en route to the village but the roads are blocked. Essential items and medicines would be air-dropped if the need arises," the SDM said.

Meanwhile, a local said that over 100 shepherds from the village are stuck on the higher reaches along with their goats, sheep and cattle. Several houses have been endangered in the village due to heavy rains, he added.

On Thursday, Chandigarh-Manali national highway was blocked at Kanchi Mor near Pandoh after a part of the road caved in. As a result, several vehicles were stranded on both the sides.

About 130 people, who were stuck in Manali's Tibetan Colony after gushing waters of River Beas entered the area, were rescued late on Wednesday night by the police, officials said, adding that an NDRF team have rescued around 425 students and teachers stranded in Arni University campus at Indora in Kangra district.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), a total of 536 roads were closed across 11 of the 12 districts in the state. Reports from Chamba have not been received as communication network is snapped in the district, it said.

Out of the roads closed, 217 are in Mandi district and 167 in Kullu.

Around 1,184 power supply transformers and 503 water supply schemes have also been disrupted, the SEOC said.

As moderate to heavy rains lashed parts of the state, Pandoh in Mandi district recorded 108 mm rainfall since Wednesday evening, followed by Bhareri 63.8 mm, Mandi 56.8 mm, Gohar 53 mm, Naina Devi 36.6 mm and Manali 25 mm. Thunderstorms lashed Shimla, Jubbarhatti and Sundernagar.

Between June 20 and August 26, at least 158 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh, while 38 have gone missing, according to the SEOC.

The state has witnessed 90 flash floods, 42 cloudbursts and 85 major landslides so far. It has incurred losses to the tune of Rs 2,623 crore in rain-related incidents, the SEOC data showed.

The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in isolated areas of the state till Sunday. PTI BPL RUK RUK