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Monsoon rains and weather-related disasters have claimed 75 lives in Himachal Pradesh since June 30, while the estimated damage to public and private property has crossed Rs 911 crore, according to the latest state government data.
The cumulative loss has been pegged at Rs 91,172.51 lakh, or over Rs 911.72 crore, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) and the Disaster Management Cell of the Revenue Department. As many as 75 people have died in disaster-related incidents during the period. Accidental falls from rocks and trees accounted for the highest number of fatalities at 26, followed by landslides (14), snake bites (7), lightning strikes (6), drowning (5) and flash floods (1). Another 16 deaths were attributed to other weather-related incidents. Lahaul and Spiti recorded the highest number of disaster-related deaths at 14, followed by Kangra (12), Shimla (10), Chamba (9) and Kullu (9). In addition to disaster-related fatalities, 98 people have died in road accidents during the monsoon period, with Chamba and Sirmaur recording the highest number of such deaths at 16 each. Kullu reported 13 road accident fatalities, while Shimla recorded 11. At least 208 people have sustained injuries in disaster-related incidents, while one person remains missing, the data showed. The monsoon has also inflicted extensive damage on infrastructure and private property. The PWD has reported losses of Rs 68,636.43 lakh, while the power sector has suffered damage estimated at Rs 20,389.51 lakh. The rains have damaged 358 houses, including 80 pucca houses -- 29 fully and 51 partially -- and 278 kaccha houses, of which 102 were completely and 176 partially damaged. Besides residential structures, 14 shops, 238 cattle sheds, and five huts have also been damaged, while 208 livestock have perished. Meanwhile, 209 roads remained blocked across the state as of 5 pm on Wednesday, despite ongoing restoration operations. All National Highways in the state were reported to be open. Mandi was the worst affected with 94 blocked roads, followed by Kullu with 60, Shimla with 21, Sirmaur with 11, and Chamba with 10. The power supply situation improved significantly during the day, with 19 distribution transformers (DTRs) pending restoration by evening. Of these, 13 were in Mandi, five in Shimla, and one in Kullu. However, 70 water supply schemes remained disrupted. Shimla accounted for 24 affected schemes, followed by Sirmaur (17), Chamba (16), and Mandi (8). Emergency response teams, road-clearing machinery, and restoration crews have been deployed across the affected districts to restore road connectivity and essential services, officials said. (ANI)
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