Even though the weather in Himachal Pradesh was largely clear on Wednesday after days of incessant rainfall across the state, many of the water bodies, including the Beas River, continued to overflow.
Visuals from Manali showed the Raison toll being taken over by Beas river’s water. The river was seen flowing through the road where the toll is located.
The flash floods in the state left behind a trail of destruction, with shops being washed away, buildings collapsed, highways cut off, and residential areas inundated across Himachal Pradesh.
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Since Monday evening, the state reported 12 flash floods, two major landslides and one cloudburst. Of these, nine flash floods occurred in the Lahaul and Spiti district, two in Kullu and one in Kangra, while a cloudburst was reported in Chamba.
Fortunately, no loss of life was reported in any of these incidents, news agency PTI reported. However, one person drowned in Kangra, and another died after falling from a height in Kinnaur.
Himachal chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu spoke to news agency ANI, saying that the main reason behind the heavy rainfall and the subsequent damage is “climate change and global warming”.
“There has been heavy rainfall in several districts of Himachal Pradesh. There has been a lot of destruction in Manali, Kangra and Chamba. National Highways are severely damaged… The people were evacuated. The main reason behind this is climate change and global warming. This will cause more damage in the Himalayas in the coming times,” he said.
Sukhu also said that the Manimahesh Yatra has been suspended amid heavy rainfall. He added, “A special package should be declared by the centre for a disaster-struck state.”
The India Meteorological Department has forecast “isolated heavy rainfall” in Himachal Pradesh for the next seven days.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said that a total of 680 roads were closed in the state as of Tuesday evening. Of these, 343 are in Mandi and 132 in Kullu.
The SEOC added that 1,413 transformers and 420 water supply schemes were disrupted.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the strong currents of the Beas river swept away a multi-storey hotel and four shops in Kullu’s Manali. The water entered the Alu ground in Manali, while it also damaged the national highway connecting Chandigarh and Manali in several places.
Around 200 meters of the Manali-Leh highway was also reportedly washed away by the swollen Beas River, resulting in the closure of the route and tourists being stranded.
Loss of ₹550 cr in last 3 days
Meanwhile, state minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the significant damage, especially along the Beas River, bring an estimated loss of around ₹1,400 crore to the PWD department, including ₹550 crores from the last three days alone.
“Several bridges and roads have been washed away, especially in Kullu and Manali. The state government has deployed heavy machinery… and is in constant contact with NHAI officials. A special meeting chaired by the Assembly Speaker was held to discuss restoring normalcy,” he told news agency ANI.
Singh added, “Despite challenges like disrupted connectivity and the tragic deaths of ground staff, the government is committed to providing support to affected families and ensuring the safety of its workers.”
He further urged the public to stay safe, follow weather forecast and abide by the local administration’s guidelines.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay safe.
Speaking to news agency ANI, she said, “Because of continuous rainfall, our National Highway has been damaged at many points… The water level is very high. I request everyone to avoid unnecessary travel and stay safe… Some areas were evacuated yesterday, and some areas are being evacuated as we speak. All our officers are on the field.”
She further stated that the situation in the state worsened after two days of heavy rainfall. “NH 3 is damaged at Bindu Dhank. There is waterlogging in the bus stand. In Bahang, near the BRO portion, some restaurants and shops are affected due to water… Mining link roads are also disrupted… Orange alert has been issued,” she added.
Kullu Superintendent of Police Dr Karthikeyan Gokul Chandran said Manali was the worst-hit subdivision.
