Nine killed, property worth crores destroyed
Vehicles being pulled out from floodwaters in Mohal, Kullu after heavy rains. Photo: Rohit Prashar Himachal Pradesh, which recorded heavy rains in the pre-monsoon months of April and May, is currently being battered by the southwest monsoon, which moved into the state last week. Nine people have been killed, 14 injured and property worth Rs 102 crore destroyed in the last four days since the monsoon reached the state.
The state has recorded seven incidents of landslides, one incident of cloudburst and four incidents of floods in these four days. It is raining heavily in all the districts of the state except Lahaul-Spiti. The subsequent landslides have caused the closure of more than 300 roads at various places.
The extreme weather has caused a drinking water crisis in the state as 1,044 drinking water and irrigation projects have come to a standstill.
Himachal has been hit hard by climate extremes this year. The state hardly witnessed rain or snowfall during the winter months due to a lack of western disturbances.
Then, it rained heavily in the months of April and May. More than 84 per cent of the normal rainfall for the state has been recorded in the month of May, according to Surendra Pal, director of the Meteorological Centre Shimla. This is the highest in the last 20 years, according to Pal.
An alert has been issued by the Meteorological Department in the state till June 30. The state’s principal secretary (Revenue) Onkar Sharma has also instructed tourists not to go to high-altitude locations and to be careful and alert.
Thousands of tourists are currently stranded in the state as the main highway connecting the tourist destination of Kullu-Manali has been closed for several hours due to heavy rains and landslides.
Farmers and horticulturists in Himachal are also worried. Heavy rain at the start of the monsoon means the risk of disease to crops will increase due to a rise in moisture levels.
Apart from this, the season of apple horticulture, the backbone of the state’s economy, is also going to start in the next few weeks. Apples that are market-ready, will not be able to reach mandis or wholesale markets due roads being damaged as a result of landslides and floods. Many apple farmers may consequently have to suffer heavy losses.
Some 217 people had lost their lives in natural calamities in the state last year during the monsoon season and the loss due to monsoon rains was estimated to be Rs 1,130 crore. In 2021, 476 people died and 627 were injured due to natural calamities in Himachal Pradesh. Property worth Rs 1,151 crore was damaged in the state.
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