Himachal Pradesh Faces Heavy Monsoon, 30+ Roads Closed Amid Fatalities and Losses

The Monsoon in India is not moving away from India this season and the rain gods are too kind to the country even in the end part of the season. The fall has started still Himachal is going through a heavy downpour in some part resulting in closing of more than 30 roads for vehicular traffic with the local MET office expecting a wet spell in the state till Sunday. 

Heavy rain continued to lash parts of HP with Jogindernagar logging the highest rainfall of 80 mm since Thursday, followed by Palampur 79.8 mm, Baijnath 65 mm, Paonta Sahib 51.2 mm, and Shimla 34.9 mm.

Dehra Gopipur and Dhaulakuan recorded 27 mm of rain each, Gohar 25 mm, Una 23.4, Dharampur and Kasauli 16 mm each, Kangra 12.4 mm and Nahan 10 mm, officials said.

Shimla tops the chart with highest 12 roads closed, then Kangra with 10, 8 in Mandi, 2 roads in Kullu and another one in Shimla district, and according to the state emergency operation centre which also said that 8 power supply schemes have been affected by the rainfall. 

Rain deficit from June 1 till date was 19 per cent with the state receiving 590.4 mm rainfall against an average of 729.5 mm, the weather office had said on Wednesday. According to officials, 186 people died in rain-related incidents since the onset of monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 27 till Friday evening, while 28 were missing.

The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,360 crore, they said. Tabo in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state with a low of 8.2 degrees Celsius, while Bilaspur was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 32.7 degrees Celsius.