Floods wash away 6 govt buildings, ration depot in only HP village not connected by road
The buildings that have been washed away at bara Bhangal also include a primary school, a high school, the panchayat ghar, and an Ayurvedic dispensary. Two bridges over the Ravi were also swept away in flood waters.
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An army helicopter on a building's rooftop during a rescue operation as the Ravi river flows in spate near Madhopur Headworks, at Madhopur, in Pathankot district, Punjab. (@adgpi on X via PTI Photo)A flash flood triggered by the swollen Ravi river washed away seven buildings, including a Civil Supplies Department depot where approximately 60 quintal of foodgrains were stored, at the remote Bara Bangal village near Dharamshala in Kangra district, officials Thursday said. However, no loss of life has been reported, they said.
Thevillage, located at an altitude of 8,200 feet in the Dhauladhar range near Dharamshala is not yet connected by road. The village is accessible only by foot making efforts a daunting task, they added.
The incident took place Wednesday evening. The buildings that have been washed away also include a primary school, a high school, the panchayat ghar, and an Ayurvedic dispensary. Two bridges over the Ravi were also swept away in flood waters.
Mansa Ram, the pradhan of Bara Bhangal Gram Panchayat, elaborated the extent of the damage. “Villagers informed me through a satellite phone about the devastation of seven government buildings, including the Civil Supplies Department ration depot, which had around 60 quintals of ration stored. I informed the district administration about the situation. Currently, around 250 villagers, including women and children, are in the village,” he told The Indian Express.
Mansa Ram said, “Our village is of shepherds who belong to Gaddi community. During winters, we all migrate from mountains to the plains with our livestock including goats and sheep. During summer we return back to Bara Bhangal. Bir Billing is the lowest elevation where we migrate during the winter as our village receives heavy snowfall. At present, I am at Bir Billing”.
“The ration stock for at least two weeks is still available in the village. Bara Bhangal is in contact with us through satellite phones. Once the weather clears, relief material will be air dropped. If conditions are favorable, helicopters will land at an existing helipad in the village to supply essential goods,” Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa.
The DC confirmed that Bara Bhangal is the only village in Himachal that is yet to be connected by a road.
The loss of the two bridges has further complicated access to village, making internal movement difficult. Authorities fear that if the weather does not improve soon, essential supplies such as food and medicines may run low, increasing the hardships of residents.
“The district administration and disaster management teams are monitoring the situation round the clock. We appeal to residents not to panic. Relief and restoration work will begin immediately once conditions permit. There are six to seven government employees including two-three teachers, a local physician, a man who looks after the civil supplies ration depot,” DC Bairwa said.
Bara Bhangal is a unique settlement known for its isolation and challenging terrain. During winter, most villagers migrate to the plains due to heavy snowfall, returning only in the summer months. The current disaster has raised concerns about the vulnerability of such remote villages to natural calamities. A senior administrative officer said, “The PWD has already started working on the construction of a road reaching from Kangra-Chamba border to the village. There are many logistical challenges in laying a road at such a high elevation”.
Arni Univ students evacuated
More than 150 students and staff members of Arni University in Kangra’s Indora subdivision, were evacuated Wednesday night after flood waters entered the campus following continuous rainfall and heavy discharge from Pong Dam, DC Bairwa said. All students and staff present on the premises were safely rescued in a night-long operation, said an official of the local administration. Bairwa said, “The college was not flooded. In fact, due to the incessant rain water entered the premises of the educational institute which is already at a lower elevation. There was knee-deep water. It all happened Tuesday night. The university authorities alerted the local SDM and police station. Later, teams of NDRF and SDRF deployed to rescue the stranded students and staff members. Most of the stranded students were hostellers. The water has started receding. On our advice, the university is closed for a couple of days.”
The government officials said that the low-lying areas of Indora continue to face flood-like conditions due to relentless rainfall and water discharge from Pong Dam, causing widespread disruption in the region. They maintained that hundreds of people were evacuated from the ‘mand’ areas adjoining the Beas river.
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