Himachal Monsoon: Death toll touches 417; roads, infrastructure, water supply disrupted

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 17 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh continues to reel under the devastating impact of the monsoon with 572 roads, including two national highways, still blocked, besides 483 distribution transformers and 203 water supply schemes crippled across the state, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

In its morning report on Wednesday SDMA said that total deaths in the monsoon since June 20 was 417. Of these, 236 people died in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, house collapses and drowning, while 181 people lost their lives in road accidents triggered by weather disruptions.

Among major road blockages, National Highway-05 at Nigulsari in Kinnaur and NH-503A in Una near Bhadsali bridge remain closed to traffic. In Kullu district, NH-03 between Kalath and Bindu Dhank on the Kullu-Manali route and parts of NH-305 between Anni and Jalori are restricted, with movement allowed only for light vehicles.

The disruption of 483 power transformers has severely affected electricity supply in several districts, with Mandi alone accounting for 363 outages. Drinking water supply has also been hit, particularly in Hamirpur (49 schemes), Mandi (56 schemes) and Shimla (41 schemes), leaving large populations struggling for essentials.

District-wise, Mandi (229 road blockages) and Kullu (153 road blockages) are among the worst affected. Other districts like Shimla (46 roads), Kangra (46 roads), Chamba (21 roads) and Solan (16 roads) are also bearing the brunt of continuous landslides and slippages.

The SDMA said restoration work is underway on a war footing, but recurring rainfall and fresh landslides continue to hamper clearance operations across multiple stretches. (ANI)

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