Landslides and Road Disruptions Across Multiple Districts
Continuous rainfall since Thursday afternoon triggered landslides, road blockades and rising river levels across Himachal Pradesh on Friday, as the state recorded 246 per cent excess rainfall over the normal. While most landslides were minor, they disrupted traffic at several locations, particularly in Sirmaur, Kullu and Shimla districts, prompting authorities to step up monitoring in vulnerable areas.
The heaviest rainfall was recorded in Sirmaur and Solan districts, where several locations received more than 100 mm rain between the morning of July 9 and the morning of July 10. Nahan emerged as the wettest place in the state with 158 mm rainfall during that period.
Injuries and Infrastructure Damage
In Solan district, a few people sustained injuries after boulders and debris crashed onto the vehicle they were travelling in during the morning. In Kinnaur, persistent rain threatened a bridge on the Sangla-Chitkul road after the ground beneath it caved in. Residents expressed concern that the bridge could collapse if the subsidence continued. Officials said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had declared the bridge unsafe and diverted traffic through an alternate route.
Rain-induced instability was visible at several other locations as well. Rocks continued to fall from hillsides along the Shimla-Kalka and Theog-Rohru highways, posing risks to commuters. In Shimla, a tree was uprooted near Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's official residence, Oakover, while a house in Sanjauli suffered damage after debris from an adjoining hillside crashed onto it.
Rivers Swell and IMD Alert
Rising water levels in major rivers also kept authorities on alert. The Sutlej witnessed a steady increase in flow, although officials said it remained below the danger mark at Rampur. However, the river was rising rapidly at Sunni and Tatapani, prompting the administration to direct the Public Works Department to closely monitor vulnerable stretches of the Shimla-Karsog road running along the river.
In Kullu district, the Beas was also flowing at a higher level, though officials maintained that the situation remained normal for the season. The district administration has advised people to stay away from rivers, khuds and other water bodies until the weather improves.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain at isolated places in Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts for Saturday, warning of continued adverse weather conditions.
