Monsoon fury claims 241 lives in Himachal; infrastructure suffers massive hit

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 14 (ANI): Continuous heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours has caused fresh damage across several parts of Himachal Pradesh, with no signs of immediate relief. While no major casualties were reported overnight, infrastructure losses remain significant, particularly to the road network, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said on Thursday.
"The damage is occurring at multiple locations due to ongoing rain. Even last night, significant losses occurred, though they were mostly related to infrastructure," Thakur told reporters. He confirmed that cloudburst incidents have been reported from the Rampur assembly constituency.
The minister said the Public Works Department has been directed to restore roads on priority, especially since the apple harvest season is at its peak. "Our effort will be to ensure that the situation is brought back to normal and that the apple season is not affected," he said.
Meanwhile, the ongoing monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 241 lives since June 20, with 126 deaths directly linked to rain-related incidents and 115 fatalities in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
As per the cumulative loss report issued by the SDMA on Wednesday, rain-triggered disasters such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, lightning strikes, electrocution, and other related causes have left 126 people dead across various districts. The breakdown includes 17 deaths in cloudburst incidents, 23 due to drowning, 13 from lightning strikes, and several others from landslides, flash floods, and accidents involving steep terrain falls.
The report also revealed that 115 people lost their lives in separate road accidents during the same period, highlighting the combined toll of monsoon-induced hazards and dangerous driving conditions amid incessant rains.
Mandi district recorded the highest number of rain-related fatalities at 26 deaths, followed by Kangra (28 deaths) and Chamba (9 deaths). In road accidents, Mandi again topped the list with 21 fatalities, followed by Chamba (17 deaths) and Shimla (15 deaths).
The infrastructure damage has been extensive. The SDMA reported that 323 roads remain blocked, 70 electricity distribution transformers (DTRs) have been damaged, and 130 water supply schemes are disrupted. The estimated monetary loss to public and private property across the state has crossed ₹2,03,123 lakhs (over ₹2,031 crore).
Agriculture and horticulture sectors have also suffered significantly, with crops on thousands of hectares damaged. Housing losses include 259 fully damaged houses and 264 partially damaged homes, alongside severe damage to cowsheds, shops, and other structures.
The SDMA has reiterated advisories urging the public to avoid travel to high-risk areas, particularly landslide-prone zones and riverbanks, as rainfall is expected to continue in parts of the state. (ANI)