Himachal: 647 roads, 185 power transformers disrupted as monsoon continues to batter state

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 14 (ANI): Public utilities in Himachal Pradesh continued to remain under strain on Sunday as heavy rains triggered widespread disruption across the state. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 647 roads, 343 water supply schemes and 185 distribution transformers (DTRs) were reported disrupted in the last 24 hours.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), in its morning bulletin, said that three national highways, NH-03, NH-305 and NH-503A, were among the affected routes, causing major connectivity issues in Kullu, Mandi and Una districts. Restoration efforts are ongoing along critical stretches, including the Manali-Keylong highway and the Kullu-Manali right bank road, but traffic movement remains restricted due to recurring landslides.
As per the release, district-wise figures showed Mandi as the worst-hit with 246 road closures, followed by Kullu with 170 and Shimla with 58. On the power front, Kangra reported 176 DTRs disrupted, while Shimla accounted for 61 affected water supply schemes. The SDMA attributed most blockages and failures to continuous spells of heavy rainfall.
The cumulative monsoon death toll in Himachal Pradesh has climbed to 394 since June 20. Of these, 221 people have died in rain-related incidents, including landslides, flash floods, and house collapses, while 173 have been killed in road accidents, largely due to slippery conditions and damaged highways.
Thousands of residents continue to face prolonged outages of drinking water and electricity. Field teams from the Public Works Department, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board and Jal Shakti Department have been deployed round-the-clock for restoration. However, adverse weather and fresh landslides are slowing operations in high-altitude and vulnerable zones.
Officials have cautioned that more disruptions remain likely if rainfall continues in the coming days, particularly in districts like Mandi, Kullu and Shimla. The state government has urged people to avoid non-essential travel on hilly routes and to strictly follow advisories issued by local authorities. (ANI)