74 Roads Blocked in Himachal Pradesh, Including Major Highway, After Heavy Rains

Heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has led to the closure of 74 roads, including the National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet Road) that connects Chandigarh and Shimla, according to officials on Monday. A massive landslide in the afternoon also blocked NH-5 near Kumarhatti in the Solan district.

Officials confirmed that teams from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and local police are on the scene, working to clear the debris. Thankfully, no casualties were reported, as no vehicles were in the affected area at the time of the landslide. Videos of retaining walls collapsing on the highway have since gone viral on social media.

The state’s meteorological department has issued a 'yellow' alert for thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas of six districts on Wednesday, warning residents to remain cautious.

Mild snowfall was also reported in the higher reaches of Kullu, Lahaul, and Spiti districts, indicating the onset of winter. Khushal, a local resident of Mari in Kullu, noted that temperatures have noticeably dropped following the snowfall. Rain continued intermittently across the state, with Bilaspur recording the highest rainfall at 100.8 mm since Sunday evening, according to weather reports. Other notable rainfall figures included Kufri (35 mm), Kasauli (28 mm), Neri (26.5 mm), Karsog and Gohar (24 mm each), Baijnath (23.2 mm), Sundernagar (13.8 mm), and Chamba (11.5 mm).

As per data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), the closures include 39 roads in Shimla, 10 in Kangra, nine in Mandi, seven in Kullu, five in Sirmaur, three in Lahaul-Spiti, and one in Kinnaur. Power disruptions have also been reported, with five power supply schemes affected across the state.

Despite the ongoing rainfall, the state is still facing a rain deficit for the monsoon season. Between June 1 and September 15, Himachal Pradesh has received 567.2 mm of rainfall, which is 18% below the average of 692.1 mm.

Tragically, the monsoon has already claimed 171 lives in the state since it began on June 27, with 30 people still missing. According to officials, the state has incurred losses amounting to Rs 1,327 crore from rain-related incidents so far.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as residents brace for more unstable weather in the coming days.