Shimla, Jul 21 (PTI) A newly married couple was killed and normal life thrown out of gear in Himachal Pradesh as heavy rainfall triggered landslides, blocked 401 roads, and forced the closure of educational institutions, officials said on Monday.
The state meteorological department had issued a ‘red’ alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in five of the 12 districts of the state, including Shimla, Kangra, Chamba, Sirmaur and Mandi for Monday.
Due to the heavy rainfall in the Chamba district, a boulder fell on top of a house in the Sutanh village early Monday, killing Sunny and Pallu, who had got married recently. The victims were visiting the woman’s parental house that got crushed in the incident.
In another incident, a 20-year-old youth slipped into Jarol Khud near Sundernagar in the Mandi district and drowned. His body was recovered two kilometers down the drain.
According to police, the youth was crossing the Jarol Khud at Bhawana and fell into the khud. The deceased was identified as Rahul, a local resident, said SDM Sundernagar Amar Negi.
Passengers had a narrow escape as the retaining wall of a railway bridge on Delhi-Jammu railway line through Pathankot on Chakki River near Dhangu in the Kangra district collapsed due to rains, officials said.
Authorities had announced on Monday morning that schools in several subdivisions in four districts of the state would remain closed due to landslides and road blockages following heavy rains.
The educational institutions were closed in Theog, Rohru, Jubbal, Chopal and Kumarsain in the Shimla district, Thunag and Karsog in the Mandi district, Ani in the Kullu district, and Shillai in the Sirmaur district. However, the delayed announcement caused inconvenience to students and parents.
Of the 401 affected roads, the maximum — 242 — were in the disaster-hit Mandi district, while 682 power distribution transformers and 151 water supply schemes have also been affected, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
National Highway 707 (Hatkoti to Poanta Sahib) is closed near Shillia in the Sirmaur district, the Mandi-Kullu National Highway is blocked near the 4-mile and 9-mile as debris continues to fall on the road, obstructing vehicular traffic and the Pathankot-Bilaspur National Highway is also blocked, officials said.
National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet road) was also blocked near tapir following flood and debris in Runang Nallah (drain), and restoration work is underway.
Reports of landslides and stone and debris falling from hills blocking link roads have come in from Shimla, Mandi, Chamba and Sirmaur.
A video of Tehsildar Thunag in the Mandi district Rajat Sethi crossing a flooded drain in a JCB has also gone viral.
A vehicle was buried under a landslide near Thalot in Mandi, while the Nakrod-Thalli bridge was washed away in the Chamba district. In Shimla, the Jubbarhatti road was shut, leaving office goers stranded for hours.
Heavy rains have lashed several parts of the state since Sunday night.
Kangra received the maximum rainfall at 147.4 mm, followed by Nagrota Suriyan (127.4 mm), Chuwari (118.3 mm), Mandi (112.4 mm), Jogindernagar (100 mm), Nahan (95.7 mm), and Pandoh (86 mm) among others.
Since the onset of the monsoon on June 20, 74 people have died and 34 have gone missing in rain-related incidents across the state.
Himachal Pradesh has also experienced 36 flash floods, 23 cloudbursts, and 24 landslides this monsoon season, resulting in losses of approximately Rs 1,246 crore, the department said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked deputy commissioners to remain alert and take proactive measures to avert any untoward incidents in the light of the prevailing weather conditions.
He also urged people not to go near rivers and drains during the rainy season. “People’s safety is our foremost priority. I request everyone to avoid going near water bodies and to strictly follow all advisories issued by the district administration,” he said.
The chief minister also emphasised on the importance of coordination among departments to ensure timely response in case of emergency such as landslides, road blockages or flash floods, a statement issued here said. PTI BPL MNK MNK
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