Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has triggered widespread floods, causing severe damage across the region. The River Beas overflowed, sweeping away a multi-storey hotel and four shops in Manali, while several residential areas were inundated, as per media reports.
Highways were cut off, and many areas, including Alu Ground, were submerged. The situation has left hundreds of residents stranded, with no connectivity and power outages.
Continuous rainfall has also caused significant damage to roads and disrupted connectivity on the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH-3). A section of the highway was swept away by the overflowing Beas River on Tuesday. The Old Manali bridge has also suffered damage, along with several other bridges and link roads affected by the surge in water levels.
The damage across Himachal Pradesh has been estimated at over Rs 3,000 crore, with ongoing assessments still underway. State Revenue, Horticulture, and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi shared that restoration efforts have been hindered by continuous adverse weather conditions.
Also Check: LIVE Updates Jammu Weather: Amit Shah Expresses Grief Over Vaishno Devi Landslide
“There has been a massive loss across Himachal Pradesh due to the rains. Roads, electricity, and water supply have been disrupted. As of last evening, 793 roads were blocked; this morning, the number stands at 683. A total of 2,349 distribution transformers have been affected, disrupting electricity supply schemes, and 234 drinking water schemes are also impacted,” Negi said.
Affected Districts
He added that the Kullu district, from Manali to Banjar, has been severely hit, with Mandi and Chamba districts also suffering major damage.
“In our department, all sub-divisional officers, SDRF, and other agencies are performing their duties well. Currently, three major national highways are blocked: NH-305 (Manali-Leh road), NH-5, and NH-3,” he noted.
Restrict Movement Until Weather Improves
Negi advised people to restrict travel until weather conditions improve.
“The damage is increasing by the day, and the estimate has already reached around ₹3,000 crore. Alerts are still in place and people should minimise travel until weather conditions clear,” he cautioned.
Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur also spoke to ANI in Shimla about the scale of destruction in his constituency.
Gaur said heavy rain over the past two days has caused major damage, washing away a bridge and several buildings.
“Due to heavy rain over the past two days, there has been massive damage; a bridge has been washed away, and only part of another bridge remains. Some buildings have also been swept away in floods. Because the rain is not stopping, restoration work is getting delayed,” he said.
Manali MLA Gaur added that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had taken “serious note” of the situation and directed the administration to immediately begin restoration of electricity, water supply, and roads as soon as the rain stops.
“There is no information about any tourists being stranded, nor are there reports of locals trapped. Last night, one or two people were stuck at a spot, but they were rescued safely. Due to timely notification, people stayed away from the rivers and were thus saved. We have appealed to residents and tourists not to go near rivers, streams, or steep slopes prone to landslides, and to stay indoors unless necessary,” Gaur said.
The Manali MLA assured that essential commodities will be made available promptly to those in need and that restoration of electricity and water supply will begin as soon as weather conditions allow.
(With ANI Inputs)