Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has triggered severe flooding and landslides, disrupting daily life and causing significant damage. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several districts, warning of more intense downpours and a heightened risk of flash floods.
The Beas River is experiencing severe flooding due to the heavy rainfall. The overflowing river has caused flooding in Karsog, Dharampur, Pandoh, and Thunag areas, damaging houses and roads. A red alert has been issued in Mandi district due to the Beas River flooding.
In various parts of Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon rains have resulted in blocked roads, power cuts, and broken pipelines. As many as 259 roads are blocked, and 614 transformers have been knocked out. Furthermore, 130 water supply schemes have stopped functioning.
The IMD has issued a red alert for 10 districts in Himachal Pradesh, including Mandi, Shimla, Kangra, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Una, Kullu, and Chamba. These districts are expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 to 48 hours, which could lead to flash floods, landslides, and infrastructure collapse. An orange alert has been issued for Dharamshala, Kullu, and Solan. The weather department has cautioned of moderate to high flash-flood risk in parts of Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, and Una.
Several areas in the state have experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. Palampur recorded the highest rainfall at 76 mm, followed by Banjar with 75 mm and Sirmaur with 55 mm.
Due to a landslide at Jagatkhana in Bilaspur, the highway has been constricted to a single lane, causing traffic disruptions. Shooting stones have also disrupted traffic. The Subathu-Waknaghat road has been closed due to a landslide at Delgi in the Solan district.
The IMD forecasts that heavy rain will persist throughout the first week of July. Moisture-laden monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are intensifying over the northern Himalayan region, which is expected to cause frequent cloudbursts and slope failures. The weather forecast also indicates that July will bring above-normal rainfall to much of India, with Himachal Pradesh being among the states most likely to experience excess precipitation.
People are advised to stay away from rivers and streams due to the significant threat of landslides.
