Shimla, Jul 21 (PTI) All schools and colleges were shut in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur districts on Tuesday in view of a red alert by the meteorological department for heavy rain.
Intermittent rain forced the authorities to shut all educational institutions also in Theog of Shimla, Salooni of Chamba, and Nirmand of Kullu districts.
Six houses were washed away in a downpour in the Boh Valley of Shahpur subdivision in Kangra district on Tuesday. No casualties was reported.
According to reports, the cloudburst swept away six houses in Sapedi and Garun villages. Lam village also faces a threat. Several routes have been affected leading to the villages.
The old Hindustan-Tibet road (National Highway 5) was closed for vehicular traffic following landslides at two places in Kinnaur district, officials said.
The road became inaccessible near Shalkhar after a sudden slide of debris (flash slide) from the hillside. The route was also obstructed near Samdo due to falling boulders.
As a result of these incidents, vehicular movement between Kaza, Spiti, Pooh, and Reckong Peo has come to a complete standstill.
The Nurpur-Lahru road, Chowari-Dalhousie, Shahpur-Sihunta-Chowari road, Chamba-Tissa road and National Highway 154A Chakki from Punjab to Bharmour in Himachal Pradesh were among the roads shut. The Public Works Department (PWD) is working to restore them.
Satluj River continues to swell as 100 cumecs of water was released into it by the Karcham Dam in Kinnaur district, authorities said.
Heavy to very heavy rain has lashed parts of Kangra, Chamba and Sirmaur districts since Monday evening.
Palampur was the wettest with 136.4 mm of rain, followed by Dadahu 105.6 mm, Jatton Barrage 103.6 mm, Dharamshala 102.4 mm, Nahan 82.4 mm, Paonta Sahib 79.8 mm, and Bhattiyat 71 mm.
Kangra, Pachhad, Sangrah, and Dhualakuan received between 60 mm and 70 mm of rain each.
Thunderstorms and lightning struck Kangra, Bhuntar, Sundernagar and Murari Devi.
The meteorological department has warned of very heavy to extremely heavy rain in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on Tuesday. It has also sounded a flash flood threat.
Rainfall between 115.6 and 204.5 mm is considered very heavy and above 204.5 mm in a day is considered extremely heavy.
All deputy commissioners have been directed to activate district emergency operation centres on a round-the-clock basis, identify locations prone to landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts, officials said.
The public has been asked to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers, streams, nallahs and landslide-prone slopes, and refrain from attempting to cross overflowing bridges or flooded roads.
Authorities have asked people to follow official advisories and contact the state emergency helpline, 1070, or the district emergency helpline, 1077, in case of any emergency. PTI BPL VN VN
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