Himachal monsoon havoc: Death toll rises to 306, losses cross Rs 2,394 crore

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 26 (ANI): The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has reported that 306 people have lost their lives due to monsoon-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh between June 20 and August 25.
According to the cumulative loss report issued on Monday, out of the total deaths, 156 were caused by natural disasters such as landslides, flash floods, and electrocution, while 150 deaths were due to road accidents.
The report stated that Himachal Pradesh has suffered a total loss of Rs 2,39,428.50 lakh during this period. Along with human casualties, 25,755 poultry birds and 1,843 other animals also died.
The damage to private property has been estimated at Rs 3,372.05 lakh, which includes 2,819 completely damaged and 1,641 partially damaged houses. Crop losses have been calculated at Rs 2,743.47 lakh.
Public property has also been heavily affected. The Public Works Department recorded losses of Rs 13,1079.7 lakh, the Jal Shakti Vibhag suffered losses worth Rs 81,385.2 lakh, and the electricity department faced damages amounting to Rs 13,946.69 lakh. Road damage was reported at Rs 66 lakh.
The SDMA further informed that 199 disaster incidents occurred across the state, with the highest number reported in the Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts. These include 81 landslides, 77 flash floods, and 41 cloudburst incidents.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi, for the next 48 hours. Orange and yellow alerts have also been issued for several other districts in the state.
According to the IMD's latest forecast, a red alert has been issued for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi on Monday. For Tuesday, the red alert remains in place for Chamba and Kangra, while Mandi moves to orange alert along with Kullu.
Earlier, an orange alert had also been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Kullu, while a yellow alert is in effect for Solan and Shimla. (ANI)