Cloudburst and heavy rains cause destruction in Himachal
Shimla: Monsoon rains unleashed devastation in Kinnaur and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.
A cloudburst in Gyabung and Ropa Panchayat in Kinnaur inflicted severe damage to property and agriculture, while flash floods in Kullu’s Solang Valley disrupted traffic and damaged infrastructure.
In Kinnaur, the cloudburst resulted in significant destruction. In Ropa Panchayat, a two-room house was washed away, and another house was flooded with water and debris.
The Jal Shakti Department reported losses of approximately Rs 57 lakh, with four irrigation canals suffering severe damage.
Hundreds of apple trees and cash crops, including rajma, ogla, and phafra, were destroyed, leading to substantial agricultural losses for local farmers. Heavy rains also triggered landslides, causing the closure of National Highway-5 for four hours at Nigulsar block point. In Kullu district’s Ani subdivision, the Ani-Kullu Highway-305 and several rural roads were blocked, hindering movement and causing inconvenience to residents.
The National Highway Authority of India and the Public Works Department are working urgently to restore the blocked roads.
In Solang Valley, a cloudburst early on July 25 led to flash floods, damaging the road leading to the Atal Tunnel at KM 4.2 and the Palchan Bridge. Consequently, Kullu’s district magistrate, Torul S Raveesh, issued a traffic advisory, prohibiting all vehicular movement except for emergencies from Palchan to Atal Tunnel from July 28 to July 31, between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Traffic will be redirected through the Rohtang Pass road, with police personnel deployed to ensure proper traffic regulation during this period.
