Himachal Pradesh is reeling from a devastating monsoon season, with the death toll reaching 430 as of September 20, 2025. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 245 of these deaths were due to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, drowning, and lightning, while 185 were the result of road accidents. The monsoon season started on June 20.
The heavy rainfall has caused widespread damage to public infrastructure. As of Saturday evening, 373 roads remained blocked, including two national highways (NH-03 and NH-503A). Power infrastructure has also been hit, with 43 distribution transformers disrupted. 145 water supply schemes are non-functional across various districts.
Mandi is one of the worst-affected districts, with 128 roads blocked and 83 water supply schemes disrupted. Kullu has 109 roads blocked, and Kangra has 34. Water supply schemes have also been severely disrupted in Shimla (27 schemes) and Hamirpur (9 schemes). Power disruptions are most acute in Mandi, with 11 transformers out of service.
The SDMA has also reported 1,708 injuries and 481 animal deaths. In addition, 2,287 houses, 4,908 cowsheds, 584 shops/factories, 58 labour sheds, and 7,048 other small structures have been damaged or destroyed. Of these, 651 houses were completely destroyed, while 1,012 were partially damaged.
Losses in the agriculture and horticulture sectors have been immense, with crops worth Rs 2,90,383.8 lakh and orchards worth Rs 1,45,771.9 lakh damaged. The total loss to public property has crossed Rs 4,75,451 lakh, impacting roads, schools, power lines, water schemes, and health centers. The overall damage is estimated to be over Rs 6,000 crore.
Restoration work is underway, but it is facing hurdles due to unstable slopes and recurring landslides, especially in the interior regions of Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla.
In light of the widespread destruction caused by heavy rains and landslides in the past three years, the Himachal Pradesh government is planning to extend strict building construction norms to rural areas. The aim is to minimize the impact of such disasters in the future.
