Rains disrupt Himachal: 574 roads closed, 369 water schemes hit

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 11 (ANI): A total of 574 roads, including three National Highways, 812 Distribution Transformers (DTRs) for power supply, and 369 water supply schemes were affected during the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh, a report by the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) of the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) said on Thursday. The HPSDMA has issued a morning status report detailing the widespread disruption of essential public utilities across the state due to persistent rainfall. As of 10:00 AM on Thursday, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) confirmed significant damage to the state's infrastructure.

According to the report, a total of 574 roads remained blocked, with an additional three National Highways--NH-03, NH-305, and NH-503A--also affected. The report notes that this is a decrease from the 645 roads blocked the previous evening. Power supply was severely impacted, with 812 Distribution Transformers (DTRs) disrupted across the state. The report indicated that 369 water supply schemes were disrupted, a decrease from the 437 reported the previous day. Heavy rain is cited as the primary reason for most of the disruptions. The following is a summary of the worst-hit districts in each category, based on the HPSDMA report:
Mandi district reported the highest number of blocked roads with 154, followed by Shimla with 72, Kangra with 42, and Chamba with 30.

Mandi district saw the most significant power disruption with 245 DTRs out of order, while Kullu had 211, and Solan had 125, the report said.
Shimla district had the highest number of disrupted water supply schemes with 102, followed by Mandi with 52, and Chamba with 25. The cumulative death toll since the beginning of the monsoon season has reached 380. Of these, 215 deaths were a direct result of rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and drowning. A separate count of 165 deaths was attributed to road accidents during the same period. (ANI)