TNR News Network
Mandi: As the devastating impact of a cloudburst continues to unfold in Himachal Pradesh’s Seraj region of Mandi district, combined rescue teams from the SDRF, NDRF and the Army are racing against time to locate 57 missing persons and provide relief to stranded villagers.
Drones have now been pressed into service to trace those feared buried under debris or swept away in the floods. The flashfloods, triggered late Monday night by multiple cloudbursts, have already claimed 17 lives, with damage spread across Thunag, Janjehli, Pangliur and several other villages in upper Mandi.
Entire roads, homes and public infrastructure have been washed away, leaving parts of the region completely cut off from the rest of the state for nearly five days.
Army joins search, relief material air-dropped
Indian Army personnel reached Thunag, one of the hardest-hit areas, and began on-ground rescue and relief operations. A total of 65 villagers were rescued from Daisy village, with more evacuations ongoing in nearby locations.
In an effort to reach areas inaccessible by road, a helicopter dropped emergency supplies, including 40 ration kits, 20 tarpaulins, 120 water bottles, medicines and clothing, in the remote Seraj belt. However, local residents are still forced to walk long distances over treacherous terrain to access food and medical aid as roads remain unusable and electricity has yet to be restored in most areas.
Search intensifies with drone surveillance
With many feared to be trapped under mudslides or washed away by swollen streams, drones are now actively being used to scan riverbeds, collapsed homes and debris-laden areas. The technology is being deployed in places like Pangliur village in the Syanj panchayat of Gohar subdivision, where search teams are trying to locate victims swept away by floodwaters.
One such body — that of Parvati Devi, missing since the floods — was recovered from Dehra in Kangra, having been carried kilometres away by the force of the water.
Widespread destruction: Homes, roads, lives shattered
According to initial reports, in Dharampur’s Syathi village, 27 homes were completely destroyed, while 11 others sustained partial damage, impacting over 22 families.
In Jogindernagar’s Pipli panchayat, landslides have jeopardised nearly 20 homes in Bagla and Pohl villages due to ground subsidence. In Janjehli’s Boongrail Chowk, 13 homes were washed away and six were fully damaged.
The main Thunag market has turned into a danger zone, buried under thick layers of silt and debris. Locals allege that unregulated dumping of debris in streams and roads worsened the disaster’s impact, making flood paths more destructive.
CM announces rental aid for displaced families
Recognising the scale of the crisis, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced a monthly rental assistance of Rs 5,000 for families who have lost their homes. The government is also working on restoring road connectivity from Bagasyad to Thunag and Karsog to Janjehli, which will allow for faster deployment of aid and machinery.
As teams work round the clock and the weather remains unpredictable, hopes are pinned on technology and collective effort to prevent the toll from rising further. The disaster has once again exposed the fragile infrastructure and ecological vulnerability of the hill state.
