85 dead, 34 missing in Himachal Pradesh as relentless rains trigger landslides

The relentless monsoon has unleashed a wave of devastation across Himachal Pradesh, claiming the lives of 85 people and leaving 34 still missing in the past 20 days. Landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts have also injured 129 individuals and caused widespread infrastructure damage, with Mandi district bearing the brunt of the destruction, accounting for the highest number of fully damaged houses (397 out of 404) and extensive damage to commercial properties and bridges. Ten bridges, each spanning 10 to 15 meters, in Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba districts have been washed away and are slated for reconstruction.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Hamirpur, Mandi, and Solan in Himachal Pradesh, forecasting light to moderate rain with isolated intense spells for Thursday. Similar alerts are in place for other districts, including Shimla, Chamba, and Kullu. The monsoon's impact extends beyond Himachal, with Uttarakhand also reporting 22 fatalities and 11 injuries since June 1 due to rain-related incidents, coupled with over 130 roads, including highways, being blocked. Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Nainital, and Bageshwar districts in Uttarakhand are under heavy rain and lightning alerts for July 10-11.

Across the nation, the IMD predicts continued heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated places over several northern and central states. These include East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and West Uttar Pradesh. Other regions like Chhattisgarh, Coastal Karnataka, East Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha, and West Madhya Pradesh are also bracing for heavy showers. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region (NCR), including Delhi, remains under an orange alert due to ongoing heavy rainfall, leading to severe traffic snarls and waterlogging, with corporate offices in Gurugram advising work from home for employees. In the Northeast, "Operation Jal Rahat 2" has been launched by the Indian Army in flood-hit Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur, where rescue columns have already saved over 3,820 individuals and provided extensive humanitarian aid.