Himachal Pradesh faced significant disruption on Monday due to heavy rainfall, with 74 roads, including the crucial National Highway 5 (Hindustan-Tibet Road) connecting Chandigarh and Shimla, being closed.
‘Yellow’ Alert Issued for Upcoming Thunderstorms and Lightning
The local meteorological centre has issued a ‘yellow’ alert for thunderstorms and lightning in six districts of the state, effective Wednesday.
A massive landslide near Kumarhatti in Solan district led to the closure of NH-5. Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and local police are on-site, working to clear debris and reopen the road. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, as no vehicles were passing through the affected area during the landslide. Videos of collapsing retaining walls on the national highway have circulated widely on social media.
In addition to the landslide, mild snowfall was reported in the higher elevations of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts, marking the beginning of winter. Local resident Khushal from Mari in Kullu noted a noticeable drop in temperatures following the snowfall. Intermittent rain persisted across the state, with Bilaspur recording the highest rainfall of 100.8 mm since Sunday evening. Other areas with significant rainfall include 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 of Monday morning, road closures were reported as follows: 39 in Shimla, 10 in Kangra, nine in Mandi, seven in Kullu, five in Sirmaur, three in Lahaul-Spiti, and one in Kinnaur. Additionally, five power supply schemes have been disrupted, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).