Himachal Pradesh rains: 77 roads closed; Mandi faces worst electric supply, Chamba and Shimla affected

Heavy rainfall and landslides created havoc in Himachal Pradesh, closing 77 roads and disrupting 236 electricity supply schemes and 19 water supply schemes, said authorities on Friday.

Of these 77 roads, 67 are blocked in Mandi district, seven in Chamba district, and one each in Kangra, Lahaul, and Shimla due to flash floods near Zingzingbar.

Mandi experienced the most disruptions in electricity supply, with 132 supply schemes affected in the district. On Thursday, heavy rain closed 115 roads across the state.

Seven roads are blocked in the Chamba district. Areas in Kangra, Lahaul, and Shimla, each, have one road blocked.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for the state through Friday, forecasting heavy rain, thunderstorms, and lightning in isolated areas.

On Thursday, Kataula (Mandi) received 15 cm of rainfall, Pandoh (Mandi) recorded 11 cm, and Sujanpur Tira (Hamirpur) saw 8 cm of rainfall.

Additionally, the meteorological department has issued a yellow warning for heavy rains over the weekend, reported ANI.  The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall for the region till July 7, causing a possible surge in tomato prices.

The observatory body has further alerted on potential damage to plantation, horticulture, and standing crops. Partial damage has been cautioned for vulnerable structures. Kutcha houses and huts might suffer minor damages due to strong winds and rainfall.

On Wednesday, cracks were seen at a stretch between Mandi and Pandoh on the Chandigarh-Manali four-lane highway. It had also started sinking, disrupting traffic, and causing one-way for the officials, reported Hindustan Times.

Local residents also mentioned that a reatining wall, that had been constructed with lakhs of rupees, had also gone down by two feet. The incident raised several questions on the quality of the construction. Project manager Raj Shekhar mentioned that tarring work is in process at the spot at a war footing, reported the Hindustan Times.