Rain disrupts road connectivity in Himachal, 313 roads shut; more showers likely till Aug 18

SHIMLA: Heavy widespread rain in Himachal Pradesh resulted in closure of 313 roads on Wednesday and also affected essential infrastructure as the weather department issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in isolated areas till August 18.

Dhaulakuan recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 80.5 mm since Tuesday evening, followed by Jatton Barrage at 67 mm, Dharamshala 57.2 mm, Palampur 54.6 mm, Paonta Sahib 50.8 mm, Bajaura 37 mm and Nahan 26.5 mm.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 313 roads, 65 water supply schemes and 112 transformers were affected across the state on Wednesday afternoon.

Mandi was the worst hit with 117 blocked roads, followed by Chamba with 74, Kullu 60, Shimla 36, Sirmaur 13, Kangra five and Una four. Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti reported closure of two roads each.

On Tuesday, over 200 roads were closed in in the state following torrential rains and all schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained closed in Kullu subdivision due to heavy rains.

One person was killed on the spot while two others sustained injuries when a rock fell from the hillside on their moving car in Bhararighat area of Solan district on Tuesday.

The state received 103.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 116 mm between August 1 and 12, a deficit of 11 per cent.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 30, 70 people have died in rain-related incidents, including 14 in landslides and one in a flash flood, officials said.

The state has suffered losses estimated at Rs 910 crore due to the monsoon, they said.

The weather department has forecast a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till August 17 and issued a yellow warning for heavy rains in isolated areas till August 18.