Himachal floods: 69 killed and hundreds of people injured; rescue operations underway

New Delhi (India) July 4: In Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon season causes significant damage. Floods and landslides have killed 69 people and injured 119 more. Roads and water supplies are severely damaged; thousands are displaced.

Over the past 24 hours, the state has seen record-breaking rainfall from the Shimla hills to the Mandi and Sirmaur valleys. Alerts for continuously severe weather through July 9 have been issued by authorities.

The present monsoon is bringing significant rains to Himachal Pradesh. The heaviest rainfall in the past 24 hours was 133.3 mm in Pachhad, 92 mm in Barsar, roughly 60 mm in Ghanahatti, and 55 mm in Una and Baijnath. The state will continue to see severe rains through July 9.

At least 69 people have died as a result of rain-related disasters, such as flash floods and landslides, between June 20 and July 3. Many roads have been blocked, and water supply systems have been severely disrupted, seriously harming the state's infrastructure.

Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur are under an orange alert, and Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra are both expected to experience significant rainfall. On July 6 and 7, there is a warning of heavy rain in all areas except Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti.

The Mandi district has seen the most rainfall in recent memory, resulting in significant destruction, including over 150 homes, 106 cattle sheds and 14 bridges, as well as 14 deaths and 31 reported missing. There are more than 246 blocked roads, particularly in Mandi.

In Mandi, Gohar, Karsog, and Thunag, search and rescue efforts are being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local government. Relief camps have been established and 246 ration kits have been airdropped, but access and connectivity are still major obstacles.

An Indian Air Force helicopter is delivering food supplies, medications, and other necessities to the Thunag region of Mandi, where road connectivity has been cut off. Intra-circle roaming has also been enabled in the region through July 11 in order to maintain mobile connectivity. Regardless of their initial service provider, users will be able to access mobile services via any available network.

Thousands of people have been displaced and the landscape has been impacted by the relentless rain, leaving many of them struggling without access to basic necessities.

Many villages were cut off by the rain and landslides that followed, which also caused roads to be damaged and rivers to swell, leaving debris in people's homes and fields.

Aadrika Tayal