Shimla, August 6 (Udaipur Kiran): The monsoon, wreaking havoc in Himachal Pradesh, is set to intensify further. Over half of the state’s districts are expected to receive heavy rainfall. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange and yellow alert for heavy rain in the plains and mid-hills of the state for the next six days.
According to the Meteorological Centre Shimla, an orange alert has been issued for the next 24 hours, i.e., August 7, followed by a yellow alert on August 8 and 9, an orange alert on August 10, and a yellow alert on August 11 and 12.
An orange alert indicates a higher likelihood of landslides and flash floods compared to a yellow alert. Given this, locals and tourists have been advised to exercise caution. People have been urged to avoid landslide-prone areas and maintain a safe distance from rivers and streams.
According to the State Emergency Operation Center, 85 roads, including two national highways, have been blocked due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall in several parts of the state. Additionally, 116 electricity transformers and 65 water supply schemes have been disrupted. Mandi has 35, Kullu has 20, Shimla has 8, Lahaul-Spiti has 6, Kangra and Sirmaur have 5 each, Kinnaur has 4, and Chamba has 2 roads blocked. National Highway-5 in Kinnaur and National Highway 505 in Lahaul-Spiti are blocked. In Mandi, 103 transformers are out, leading to power outages. Meanwhile, 53 water supply schemes are disrupted in Kullu district.
On the night of July 31, 66 mm of rainfall was recorded in Bharwain, 56 mm in Ghaghas, 53 mm in Jogindernagar, 52 mm in Salapad, 46 mm in Gohr, 40 mm in Una, and 35 mm in Bilaspur.
Meanwhile, the people stranded in Malana due to the devastation caused by a cloudburst on the night of July 31 in Malana Nala, Kullu district, have been safely rescued. A rescue team had left for Malana on Monday morning and after a day-long operation, they were safely rescued. SDM Kullu Vikas Shukla informed that 11 tourists were rescued from Malana via the Rasol route on Tuesday and brought to Kasol. Arrangements for their stay and food have been made in Kasol.
The search for people missing after a cloudburst in Samej, Rampur area of Shimla district, continued for the sixth day. On Monday, rescue teams recovered two bodies near Sunni Dam in Dogri. Both bodies were found in a mutilated condition and have not been identified. Earlier on Sunday, two bodies were found near the Satluj river in Rampur. However, the bodies found so far have not been identified. The administration is collecting DNA samples from flood victims to identify the bodies.
It is worth noting that the cloudburst that occurred in the early hours of July 31 caused massive devastation in Samej village. Many houses, schools, and a health center were washed away in the incident. 36 people went missing after the incident. Rescue teams have been searching for the missing people for the past five days. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a relief of Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 5,000 for rent for affected families.