Monsoon fury leaves 263 dead in Himachal Pradesh; losses pegged at ₹2,173 crore

THe on-going monsoon has wreaked widespread mayhem crossways Himachal Pradesh, claiming 263 lives since June 20, according to the Himachal Pradesh say Disaster direction Authority (HPSDMA).Of the total fatalities, 136 were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, and electrocution. At the same time, 127 people lost their lives in separate road accidents, the report stated.The torrential rains have also left a massive trail of destruction across the hill state. As per the cumulative report, more than 31,000 houses, shops, labour huts, cow sheds, and other structures have been damaged, including both fully and partially collapsed dwellings.On the infrastructure front, damage has been severe. 2,201 roads remain disrupted, hampering connectivity, 2,550 drinking water supply schemes have been hit, while 1,145 power supply lines are down, plunging several areas into darkness.In addition, public property losses have been estimated at a staggering ₹2,173 crore, making this one of the most damaging monsoon seasons in recent years.Animal husbandry has also suffered, with 1,626 cattle deaths and over 25,700 poultry birds lost to the rains.The HPSDMA noted that fatalities were spread across almost all districts, with Mandi, Kangra, Kinnaur, and Kullu among the worst-hit. On August 17 alone, two deaths were reported - one each in Chamba and Kangra districts due to road accidents.Authorities have warned that with rains expected to continue in several parts of the state, the risk of further landslides and flash floods remains high.Apart from this, as of August 18 morning, 397 roads, including three national highways (NH-305, NH-05, and NH-03), remain blocked, while 883 distribution transformers (DTRs) and 122 water supply schemes are out of service due to rain-triggered damage, said HPSDMA.The worst-hit districts in terms of road connectivity are Mandi with 192 blocked roads, Kullu with 85, and Chamba with 29. Power supply has been most affected in Kullu (543 transformers disrupted) and Mandi (303 transformers disrupted), while 44 water supply schemes in Mandi and 11 in Chamba remain non-functional due to heavy rains.Officials said restoration work is being carried out on a war footing, but intermittent landslides, shooting stones, and flash floods are hampering efforts. "Our teams are deployed round the clock to restore essential services, but the continuous rain is posing serious challenges," an HPSDMA spokesperson said.