Himachal monsoon: Death toll climbs to 240; 330 roads, 198 power lines face disruptions

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 12 (ANI): The public infrastructure across Himachal Pradesh remains impacted as the monsoon continues to lash the state, with death toll has climbed to 240. A total of 330 roads, 198 electricity distribution transformers (DTRs), and 141 water supply schemes reported disruptions in the last 24 hours, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
As per the SDMA report, the cumulative monsoon death toll has climbed to 240, which includes 125 fatalities in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts, and 115 deaths in road accidents.
Two national highways - NH-305 at Jhed (Khanag) in Kullu due to landslides and NH-505 between Lari and Stickling in Lahaul-Spiti - remain blocked, cutting off vital mountain connectivity.
The district-wise reports reveal that Mandi district is the worst hit with 192 roads blocked, followed by Lahaul and Spiti with 139 road closures, Kullu with 73, and Kangra with 25. In power supply disruptions, Kangra tops the list with 41 DTRs down, trailed by Mandi at 34 and Shimla at 10.
The water supply network is also under strain, with Mandi district suffering the highest number of affected schemes at 69.
"Restoration efforts are underway in coordination with the Public Works, Electricity, and Jal Shakti departments, but the continuous rains and recurring landslides are hampering progress," an SDMA spokesperson said.
The SDMA has reiterated advisories urging residents and tourists to avoid travel in landslide-prone areas, strictly follow weather alerts, and cooperate with authorities during evacuation or road clearance operations.
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Meanwhile, a large number of landslide monitoring stations across the state are currently non-operational, raising concerns over timely alerts and disaster preparedness amid the ongoing monsoon season, according to a report of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
According to the State Disaster Management Authority's (SDMA) Daily Landslide Monitoring Report dated August 12, 2025, the majority of 21 monitored locations in districts like Mandi, Kangra, Shimla, and Solan are "not working", while only three sites reported "low working" status.
Mandi district has the highest concentration of monitoring sites, but most, including Prashar, Kotropi, Sandhol, Ghoda Farm, multiple Griffon Peak sites, Tattapani, and Vishwakarma Temple, are non-functional.
Kangra sites at Baldun (Nurpur) and Colony are largely non-operational, with Colony and Dharamshala showing "Low Working" status.
Shimla (Jutogh) and Solan (Dagshai) also reported "No Working" status.
The report highlights that the landslide prediction at the Vishwakarma Temple site in Mandi is being done solely based on weather data due to the absence of a physical monitoring system. (ANI)