Evacuations are underway as families seek safety, and authorities are grappling with the devastating impact of the monsoon season in Himachal Pradesh, where losses have surpassed Rs 5,500 crore.
Incessant rains in the Nankhari and Kotgarh areas of Shimla district have left several houses across six panchayats at risk of sinking, with families being evacuated to safer places. Additionally, a cloudburst triggered flash floods in the upper areas of Jaban in the Anni area of Kullu district, causing damage to orchards and rendering some roads inaccessible.
Continuous heavy rainfall in the past few days has caused alarming land sinking in several villages across six panchayats in the Nankhari and Kotgarh areas of Shimla district. Officials reported on Saturday that the situation has become critical, with several houses facing the threat of sinking due to the incessant rains, according to PTI.
In response to the dire situation, Deputy Commissioner of Shimla, Aditya Negi, stated that families from the affected houses have been evacuated to safer places to prevent any potential casualties. He further emphasized the need for geological experts to conduct a survey to determine the reason behind the land sinking.
In another unfortunate incident, a cloudburst occurred in the upper areas of Jaban in the Anni area of Kullu district on Friday night. The cloudburst resulted in flash floods in the Deori Khud region, causing damage to orchards and making the Anni-Barsa road inaccessible at various points.
Authorities promptly sounded an alert, and people residing along the river bank were shifted to safer places during the midnight flash flood event. Fortunately, there were no reported human casualties, but some houses, private properties, and cowsheds suffered damage due to the sudden surge in water discharge.
Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Ashutosh Garg, confirmed that despite the damage to properties, the situation has now returned to normal as the water levels have receded. He assured that restoration work is underway to repair the affected areas.
In the Rampur area of Shimla district, heavy rains on Friday night triggered landslides, leading to blockades on National Highway 5 (Shimla–Kinnaur) at several points, including Borni Nallah and Jeori, as well as on link roads. As a result, water and power supply were disrupted in many places, and some houses even developed cracks due to the impact of the rainfall.
Nand Lal, a local MLA from Rampur, expressed concern over the situation, stating that continuous rains over the past three weeks have worsened the conditions. He assured that relief and restoration efforts are being carried out on a war footing. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear blocked roads, and families residing in endangered houses are being relocated to safer areas.
Rattan Chand Gautam, a resident from one of the affected areas, expressed the fears of the community, citing the sinking land, cracked houses, and disruptions to water and power supply as major concerns.
The ongoing monsoon has wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, with a death toll of 184 in rain-related incidents and road accidents since the monsoon onset on June 24. Currently, 33 people remain missing, and the state has suffered massive losses amounting to Rs 5,536 crore as of July 28, as reported by the state emergency operation center.
The impact of the heavy rains extends to 700 houses washed away, and 7,093 properties partially damaged. Moreover, 416 roads are still closed, and 632 transformers and 100 water supply schemes are disrupted in the state.
In light of the ongoing weather situation, the local Meteorological office has issued a yellow alert, warning of more heavy rain on August 2. The Met office predicts a wet spell in the state until August 4, prompting authorities to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.