Massive Losses in Himachal This Monsoon: 257 Deaths, 7,000 Crore in Property

Shimla: Due to the floods and landslides, Himachal Pradesh has been the worst-affected state in the nation. On Sunday, the monsoon's disastrous effects resulted in a staggering loss of 7020.28 crore, according to officials.
On June 24, the Himachal Pradesh monsoon season began. 257 lives have been lost during the monsoon owing to a variety of circumstances, according to the officials.

"Of the 251, landslides and flash floods claimed the lives of 66 persons. 191 persons died as a result of traffic accidents or other causes. While 290 people have been hurt, 32 people are still missing, according to the authorities.

Furthermore, 7935 houses have been partially damaged by the monsoon devastation, while 1376 houses have been completely destroyed in the state, according to official reports.

The government reported that "270 stores and 2727 cow shelters had been damaged due to the rain."

Official statistics show that the state has experienced 55 flash flood incidents and 90 landslides thus far. Even yet, the state still has over 450 closed highways, including 2 National Highways. According to the officials, 59 water supply schemes are still affected and 1814 electrical supply schemes are still having problems.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh government announced on Sunday that all educational institutions in the state will be closed on August 14 due to the nonstop rain.

Due to the intense rain, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu made this choice for the students' safety. The Education Secretary has issued a notification instructing all public, private, and institutions to be closed on August 14 as per the Chief Minister's directives.

All of the District Collectors (DC) provided comments to the Chief Minister regarding the harm done by the districts' severe rainfall. Also, he learned of the closing of the roads.

He also became aware of the harm done to homes by landslides.

The CM has given orders to all DCs, the Home Secretary, and the Chief Secretary to keep a watchful eye on the situation brought on by the recent rains. He advised the administrative staff to keep things running well with regard to the roads, power, and water.

The state's Department of Education also announced the cancellation of all upcoming tests for Post Graduate courses, including the B.Ed exams slated on August 14.

The university decided to cancel all upcoming Post Graduate exams, including the B. Ed. exams scheduled for August 14 only, in light of the persistent rain and bad weather in Himachal Pradesh, according to a notification sent to all concerned and deserving Principals of colleges affiliated with and maintained by HP University.

In Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, following recent heavy rains, landslides have wrecked havoc on the city.

The Shimla Municipal Corporation on Sunday issued a notice for vacation as a massive landslide in the Himland area has threatened the neighbouring homes. Landslides have put homes in numerous locations in danger.

"The structure is loose and there were landslides, therefore our initial assessment is that it is not safe. Here, there are seven people residing. All seven of the tenants received a warning from us in the form of a notice delivered to them, and they all complied and left. We informed them that the area was unsafe to live in and that everyone had left until the safety report was published.

"Landslides occurred, the structure is shaky, and based on our initial assessment, it is not safe. There are seven people residing here. All seven residents have received a notice from us by notice delivery, and they have all complied and left. We have informed them that this location is unsafe for habitation and that they should leave till a safety report has been issued, according to Mahboob Sheiq, architect and planner for the Shimla Municipal Council.

A local remarked that because of the Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast for heavier rain in the area, they feel uncomfortable and are afraid.

"The water outflow was improper due to a structural issue, and it occurred at approximately 6:00 AM. We have left the homes, and while the administration has come and given temporary shelters, KC Katoch, a local resident, said that for now, "we will manage with our own arrangement."

However, a number of highways in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district that were previously closed for traffic because of landslides and other rain-related occurrences have now been reopened, according to the district administration.

The list contains important thoroughfares that are close to National Highway-907A as well as National Highways 05 and 205. Approximately 11 roads on NH-05 have been cleaned and made traffic-friendly. On a few of them, only one lane has been made available for traffic. Included in this are the Parwanoo-Datyar, Datyar-Chakimore, Chakimore-Jabli, and Jabli-Dharampur roads.

It is quite likely that the state will continue to see moderate to heavy rains, according to the Himachal Pradesh-based India Meteorological Center.

Isolated locations in the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Kullu, and Sirmaur are expected to see very heavy to extremely severe rainfall, according to the IMD statement.

Also, it predicted unusually severe rainfall at isolated locations in Beas, Ranjit Sagar, and the catchment area of the Pong dam.