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The monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh continues to batter infrastructure, with 819 roads, including three national highways, 1,236 electricity transformers and 424 water supply schemes disrupted across the state, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
The cumulative death toll in the state since June 20 has reached 320, of which 166 deaths were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and electrocution, while 154 deaths occurred in road accidents, the SDMA said. The state's road network has been severely impacted, with major blockages reported on NH-03, NH-05, and NH-305, along with hundreds of rural link roads cut off due to landslides and debris flows. Districts such as Chamba (253 roads), Mandi (206), Kullu (175), and Kangra (61) are among the worst affected. The power supply has taken a massive hit, with 1,236 distribution transformers (DTRs) damaged or non-operational, particularly in Kullu (357), Chamba (296), Una (330), and Mandi (177). Restoration work is ongoing but hampered by continuous rain and accessibility issues in high-altitude and interior regions. The water supply has also been disrupted in 424 schemes, affecting both drinking water and irrigation facilities. The highest impact has been in Chamba (77 schemes), Kullu (39), Mandi (56), and Shimla (32). Authorities have deployed multiple teams for road clearance, power restoration, and water supply repairs, but warn that heavy rain forecasts could delay full restoration. Cumulative damage from June 20 to August 30 has been pegged at Rs 3,04,207.46 lakh, covering losses to lives, livestock, agriculture, horticulture, houses, shops, factories, public utilities, and other infrastructure. Rain-related fatalities include 33 deaths by drowning, 17 in cloudbursts, 14 due to electrocution, 11 in landslides, 9 in flash floods, and others due to lightning, snake bites, and falls from steep terrain. Significant accident fatalities were reported from Chamba (22), Mandi (22), Kangra (19), and Shimla (16). (ANI)
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