"About 72 people have lost their lives," says Himachal Pradesh Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, as heavy rains hit state

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 7 (ANI): In the light of the cloudburst and flash-flood-affected area of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, on Sunday, highlighted that about 72 people have died and Mandi has faced a lot of loss.
"A lot of havoc is wreaked during the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh. Nearly 72 people have lost their lives. The epicentre of this is Mandi, which suffered a lot of loss. The state government has geared up a lot of machinery, and we are restoring roads, water supply and electricity on a large scale," said Agnihotri.
He further said, " Though it is a challenge, Himachal Pradesh's officers and workers are working with the government with full force, rising above politics. we have established relief camps with food facilities and officers deployment. Simultaneous cloudburst happened and alerts are still coming in. We are making all efforts to keep our people safe."
Several parts of Himachal Pradesh are affected by public utilities, with 269 roads blocked, 285 electricity transformers disrupted, and 278 water supply schemes rendered non-functional in the last 48 hours, as stated by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SECO).
Kullu district was the second most impacted area in terms of road access, with 39 roads blocked in sub-divisions like Banjar and Nirmad, owing to rainfall-triggered obstructions.
Meanwhile, Chamba reported 32 blocked roads and 17 damaged transformers across its subdivisions, including Salooni, Dalhousie, and Bharmour.
In line with the same news, SEOC, despite widespread rainfall and localised disruptions to public utilities across Himachal Pradesh, the water levels in all major dams remain within safe operational limits. Alongside this, the hydroelectric power generation continues mainly uninterrupted.
In SEOC's daily Dam status Report, issued on July 6, it confirmed that "the current pond levels of all dams are within permissible operational limits," offering reassurance amid concerns over heavy inflows and potential flood risks in the state's river basins.
The heavy monsoon showers have triggered landslides, waterlogging, and infrastructure damage, disrupting road connectivity and essential services across multiple districts," the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said.
"Efforts are underway to restore services swiftly, and field teams are on alert in highly affected regions such as Mandi and Kullu, SDMA added further. (ANI)