Union Minister Savitri Thakur inspects flood, landslide-affected areas in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India] September 13 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, visited various regions of Himachal Pradesh affected by recent natural disasters, including sudden floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, as per a release.

The Minister inspected several locations along the Kullu-Manali route, covering Vaishno Mata Temple, Sabzi Mandi (Bandrol), Raison, Dohlu Nala, Fozal Nala, Duada Vihal, Jatehar Vihal (Patlikuhal), Nalsu Nala, Manalsu Nala, Solang, Palchang, Samahan, Bahang and the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Mile areas situated on the banks of the Beas River.
These regions had suffered extensive damage to road connectivity due to heavy rainfall and landslides.
With the continuous efforts of the central government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), repair and reconstruction of damaged roads are being undertaken on a war footing to restore traffic movement and provide early relief to the affected population.

During the visit, Thakur interacted with affected families, listened to their concerns, and reviewed the progress of ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures.
Himachal Pradesh continues to reel under the impact of an unforgiving monsoon, with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Saturday confirming massive disruption to public utilities across the state.
As of 10:00 am on September 13, a total of 574 roads remain blocked, 389 distribution transformers (DTRs) are disrupted, and 333 water supply schemes are out of order following fresh spells of rain and landslides in the last 24 hours.
The SDMA also reported that the cumulative death toll from this year's monsoon has reached 386 since June 20. Of these, 218 deaths are directly attributed to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, house collapses and drowning, while 168 deaths occurred in road accidents, which spiked sharply due to slippery conditions and damaged hill highways.
District-wise, Kullu and Mandi are among the worst-hit in terms of road blockages, with 174 and 166 routes disrupted, respectively. In Shimla district, 48 roads remain closed, while Kangra reported 45, Chamba 44 and Sirmaur 28. Major national highways have also been hit -- including stretches of NH-03 (Manali-Keylong), NH-305 (Anni-Jalori) and NH-503A (Una region) -- cutting off connectivity to high-altitude valleys and tourist hubs. (ANI)