The death toll in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh has mounted to 74 and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted more shows in the next 4-5 days.
Heavy rains have triggered landslides in several districts of Himachal Pradesh, leading to the collapse of houses and roads being washed away. As nearly 650 roads were blocked and 1,135 transformers and 285 water supply schemes were disrupted.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu had said that his state will take a year to rebuild the infrastructure damaged by the heavy rains this monsoon and claimed that the estimated loss in the two devastating spells of heavy rains - this week and in July - is about Rs 10,000 crore.
The chief minister said it takes time to rebuild roads and water projects. But the government is speeding up the process. “We have to get the infrastructure fully restored within a year. I am working with this in mind.” “It’s a big challenge, a mountain-like challenge,” he had said.
The weather forecasting agency also said heavy rainfall activity is likely over east and adjoining central India during 17-19 August and over northeast India during 17-21 August.
Here Are Latest Updates on Monsoon Rains:
- The IMD said that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed scattered rainfall in the last 24 hours and predicted scattered rains in the next 4-5 days.
- The weather forecaster predicted light rain in Delhi in the next four days.
Andhra Pradesh is likely to witness heavy rain in some parts of the state for the next four days. - Army and NDRF teams on Thursday rescued nearly 300 people from marooned villages in Punjab’s Kapurthala as relief and rescue work continued in some of the flood-affected districts in the state.
- A total of 22 villages have been affected by floods in the Beas river due to release of excess water from Bhakra Dam, officials said. Some parts of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Rupnagar and Kapurthala districts were submerged following the release of excess water from Pong and Bhakra dams this week.
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday toured flood-affected areas in Hoshiarpur district in a boat to take stock of the situation. Boarding the boat with NDRF officials, the Chief Minister visited Rara and Fateh Kulla villages and then visited Haler village.
- The IMD predicted isolated extremely heavy falls also likely over Odisha on August 17-18.
- Parts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are likely to see showers till August 19.
- Light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/thunderstorm & lightning with isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Uttarakhand, East Uttar Pradesh on August 17, 18 and 21 and West Uttar Pradesh on August 21.
- Out of 74 deaths in Himachal Pradesh, 21 were in the three major landslides in Shimla alone -at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill and in Fagli and Krishnanagar.
- Eight persons are still feared buried in the temple debris.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, 217 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)