Shimla, July 23 (PTI) A total of 345 roads, including two National Highways, have been closed for vehicular traffic in Himachal Pradesh following heavy rains in the past days, officials said on Wednesday.
Reports of landslides and debris falling on roads leading to road blockades have been pouring in from various parts of the state.
National Highway (NH) 70, Mandi-Kotli road, has been closed in Mandi, while NH 707 (Hatkoti to Poanta Sahib) in Sirmaur has been closed at several locations in the wake of landslides.
Among the total 345 roads closed, 232 are in the disaster-stricken Mandi, while 71 are in the Kullu district. Additionally, 169 power distribution transformers and 230 water supply schemes have been affected, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).
In a separate incident, about 65 students from a primary school in the Kasumpti area of Shimla were relocated to a nearby community centre after the school’s retaining wall collapsed, posing a danger to the premises, officials said.
Monsoon activity remained normal in the state, and light to moderate rains were received at several places since Tuesday evening.
Manali recorded 59 mm of rain, followed by Sarahan with 37.5 mm, Gharmoor with 36.2 mm, Nagrota Suriyan with 32.2 mm, Aghar with 30.6 mm, Muraru Devi with 29.4 mm, Guler with 27.4 mm, Bilaspur with 27.5 mm, Bharari with 25.2 mm, Kahu with 24.2 mm, and Berthin with 23.6 mm.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, there have been 77 fatalities and 34 individuals reported missing due to rain-related incidents across the state.
The state has also experienced 42 flash floods, 24 cloudbursts and 26 landslides this monsoon season, resulting in losses of approximately Rs 1,382 crore, the SEOC stated.
Keylong recorded the coldest night temperature at 11.9 degrees Celsius, while Bilaspur reached the highest daytime temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius.
So far, during the ongoing monsoon season (June 1 till date), Himachal has received 324.2 mm of rain against a normal rainfall of 285.2 mm, an excess of 14 per cent, the Meteorological Department (MeT) said. PTI BPL MPL MPL
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