The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall for Himachal Pradesh during the next two days, officials said as reported by ANI.
On Wednesday, The meteorological office issued a 'red alert' predicting "heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated spells of extremely heavy rains" in six of the state's 12 districts including Shimla for the next 24 hours. The 'red alert' warning has been issued in parts of Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts. The MeT Department also issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains on Thursday.
The weather department has also also issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall of 115.6 to 204.4mm rains in the hilly state on 24 August. The weather department also forecasted landslides and localised floods and have urged people to stay away from vulnerable structures.
The Himachal Police has in an update also stated that, “The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert warning of "heavy to very heavy rainfall" on Wednesday and Thursday and a yellow alert for heavy rainfall on August 25 and 26. Please avoid unnecessary travel and keep distance from water sources”
All schools and colleges have been closed for two days beginning Wednesday in Shimla, Mandi and Solan districts.
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu appealed the “people to not travel during the night hours". He asked “people living in landslide-prone areas to vacate their houses"
Meanwhile on 23 August, hundreds of vehicles were stranded in the Kullu district after the Kullu-Mandi road got damaged due to rainfall. On this, Kullu SP Sakshi Verma said, “Due to the rainfall both the roads connecting Kullu district to Mandi have been damaged. The alternative route via Pandoh is also damaged &. PWD is trying to clear the road...”
Shimla continued to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday, the problems of the common people increased as people face a slew of problems caused by the rain, including water logging, landslides, and uprooting of trees, which in turn has not only caused inconvenience for people but also put their lives in danger.
During the past 24 hours, Shimla recorded 190 mm of rain, and during one hour, it recorded 60 mm of rain in the morning, an official said.
One of the local residents, while speaking to ANI, shared his plight and said, “I am from Sanjauli. The roads are blocked, trees are uprooted, and we are facing problems due to water logging on roads. The situation is getting worse.”
Another resident said, “There is a fear of landslides and the uprooting of trees all around. I am in a state of shivering due to fear. It was difficult for us to be here in this tough condition of heavy rainfall,” another local resident said.
Incessant rain has led to landslides, cloudbursts and flash floods, causing significant damage in the State.
The Government of Himachal Pradesh has declared the whole state as a 'natural calamity affected area'. According to the latest information provided by the state government, the total monetary loss in Himachal has reached ₹10,000 crore so far due to the heavy rains. A total of 2,022 houses have been fully damaged, and 9,615 houses have been partially damaged, with 113 landslides occurring in this year's monsoon season. A total of 224 lost lives in the monsoon fury while 117 people died in road accidents in the state so far, according to the government bulletin.
