Munish Sood
MANDI: Torrential monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Himachal Pradesh, leaving 303 people de*ad and 37 missing since June 20. Continuous rain has triggered flashfloods, landslides and road blockages, paralysing normal life in several districts.
The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall, while schools and anganwadi centres in eight districts have been ordered shut as a precautionary measure.
In the wake of continuous downpour, the district administrations in Kangra, Chamba, Una, Mandi, Kullu, Solan, Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts have closed all the educational institutions on Monday (August 25, 2025).
In the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, schools in Lahaul and Udaipur subdivisions have been shut. Officials have urged residents to remain indoors, stay away from riverbanks and avoid travelling on landslide-prone routes.
Kangra district worst-affected
Kangra has emerged as the worst-hit district, with the Indora region submerged and government offices and markets flooded. The Jasur vegetable market is under water, leaving traders and locals in distress.
Several roads in Nurpur constituency have been blocked due to landslides, with the Suliali-Dunera route restored after major effort while Nurpur Court Road remains shut, threatening power supply infrastructure.
The administration has warned that inadequate drainage on the four-lane highway has worsened the flooding, with streams now touching bridge levels and posing a serious risk to commuters.
Landslides on Bilaspur-Mandi four-lane
A massive landslide occurred near Thapna on the Kiratpur-Nerchowk four-lane highway, halting traffic for several hours. Boulders and debris rolled down the hillside, badly damaging a truck though the driver escaped with minor injuries.
Another landslide at Maihla blocked the same highway for nearly two hours on Sunday morning, leaving long queues of stranded vehicles.
Despite NHAI deploying JCB machines to clear debris, fresh downpours in the afternoon triggered further landslides, forcing another closure.
Chamba reels under cloudburst, road closures
In Chamba, incessant rains since Saturday have disrupted life badly. Around 82 major roads, including the Pathankot-Bharmour highway, have been blocked, while 410 transformers and 40 drinking water schemes remain non-functional.
A cloudburst in Dalhousie’s Karenlu stream swept away three vehicles and damaged a community hall. Considering the weather, the district administration has temporarily suspended the Manimahesh Yatra. Bharmour ADM Kulbir Rana appealed to devotees to remain at safe locations and avoid taking risks.
Across Himachal, 54 major routes have been blocked due to landslides, including the Bharmour-Pathankot highway. As many as 409 transformers are non-functional, plunging several areas into darkness, while drinking water schemes have also been hit.
The Shimla Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert for several districts today and a yellow alert for heavy rainfall from August 26 to 31.
The state recorded exceptionally high rainfall on Saturday night, including Kahu (190.5 mm), Jot (159.2 mm), Naina Devi (148.4 mm), Bilaspur (140.8 mm), Bhattiyat (140.2 mm), Dharamshala (87.4 mm), Una (80.8 mm) and Sujanpur Tihra (80 mm).
Cloudbursts, landslides and floods have damaged 3,556 houses and shops, 2,766 cowsheds and killed 1,833 cattle. The total financial loss has been pegged at Rs 2,348 crore. Mandi district has reported the highest death toll with 51 fatalities.
