Heavy rain triggers landslide, tree uprooting near CM's residence in Shimla; house vacated, residents moved to safety

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 3 (ANI): Persistent heavy rainfall in Shimla, on Wednesday triggered a landslide and uprooted trees near the official residence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, prompting authorities to vacate a nearby house and shift residents to safer locations.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of the CM's government accommodation at Ramchndra Chowk and Benmore area. According to officials, continuous downpours over the past two to three days have caused significant damage across the city, with multiple reports of landslides, road blockages, and property threats.
Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan told ANI that municipal authorities took prompt action after receiving reports of a landslide at Banmore Ward's Ramchandra Chowk, an area already affected by a major slide a few days ago.
"For the past two to three days, Shimla city has been suffering heavy damage due to continuous rainfall. At Banmore Ward's Ramchandra Chowk, we had a big landslide a few days ago. Today, the retaining wall built by ICC slid and fell on trees, causing two trees to topple. This happened near government accommodation. Thankfully, the houses there were vacant, and no casualty occurred," Chauhan said.

He added that one house in the danger zone had been identified and vacated as a precautionary measure, with its occupants shifted to safer locations.
"Right now, the house we are standing near is under threat. We have brought this to the notice of the local SDM. The area's councillor has been here since 8 am. We have taken the best possible measures. Due to the ongoing rains, we have restricted access to the affected area. Residents nearby have been advised to move to safer places so that they are not harmed if more trees fall," Chauhan stated.
The Mayor also revealed that one of the houses at risk belongs to a local doctor's parents. While the immediate threat is minimal, authorities have moved them temporarily in the interest of safety.
Chauhan painted a grim picture of the overall situation in Shimla, saying that continuous landslides have closed several roads and caused widespread damage.
"Our councillors and officers are working 24x7 across the city. Where possible, we are restoring manually, and in other areas, machinery is being used. We pray to God to stop this rain, because nothing is bigger than nature. We appeal to people to stay indoors unless it is absolutely necessary to go out," he said.
The Shimla Municipal Corporation, along with district authorities, continues to monitor the situation closely as more rain is expected in the coming days. (ANI)