Rain wreaks havoc in Himachal Pradesh

A total of 78 people have died in Himachal Pradesh over the last two weeks after the early arrival of monsoon wreaked havoc in the state, according to the official data released by the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC).

As many as 50 fatalities have been attributed to flash floods, landslides, cloudbursts, and electrocution. Road accidents caused the remaining 28 deaths since the monsoon began on June 20, 2025. Cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides have been triggered by heavy rains and thunderstorms in Himachal over the past couple weeks, with dozens dead and 31 still missing due to rain-related incidents.

The relentless monsoon has left the hill state reeling, with numerous rivers and rivulets overflowing, causing widespread disruption. Rainfall between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm in a day is categorised as very heavy, while anything above 204.4 mm is considered extremely heavy.

Light to moderate rainfall lashed parts of the state with Jogindernagar receiving 52 mm since Friday evening, followed by 29.9 mm in Dharamshala, 28.8 mm each in Nahan and Palampur. The heavy monsoon rains last year caused widespread destruction and claimed over 550 lives in the state.

The state has witnessed 16 instances of cloudbursts, three flash floods, and a major landslide, further compounding the crisis. Mandi district has emerged as the worst-hit region, with the highest number of infrastructure damages reported. Around 200 roads remain blocked in Mandi alone, while 278 water supply schemes have been rendered non-functional across the state.

Key subdivisions in Seraj, Karsog, Thalout, and Dharampur have reported extensive damage to public utilities, according to Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu visited the disaster-hit Syathi village in Mandi, where he met and interacted with families, assuring them that the government would extend all possible assistance.

According to The Hindu, Sukhu told reporters, “There is a need to do an in-depth study to ascertain the reasons for landslides even at places having solid strata. Never before have there been 8-10 cloudbursts in a single night.” He added that both the Central and State governments need to come together for such a study.