Heavy rain batters Himachal: Orange, yellow alerts on; 134 roads shut, power & water supply disrupted

IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall across most areas until July 31, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph over the low and mid-hill districts, and Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), it has recorded an improvement in the overall situation compared to the morning, when 165 roads, 273 DTRs and 234 water supply schemes were disrupted due to incessant rainfall.

However, several districts continued to face road connectivity issues.

Mandi remained the worst-hit district with 58 roads blocked, followed by Chamba (14), Kullu (33), Sirmaur (12), Shimla (7), Kangra (5), Lahaul and Spiti (4) and Una (1). However, no national highway was reported closed.

Power supply disruptions were reported mainly from Kullu, where 59 DTRs remained affected. Shimla reported nine disrupted transformers, Chamba and Kangra eight each and Mandi two.

Water supply was hit the hardest in Chamba, where 90 schemes were disrupted, followed by Kangra (58), Lahaul and Spiti (44), Sirmaur (22), Shimla (19), Bilaspur (10) and Hamirpur (8).

According to the SEOC, restoration work continued throughout the day.

Since the onset of monsoon on July 18, authorities have restored 1,329 blocked roads and resolved a majority of utility disruptions, although several roads remained closed and restoration work is underway in vulnerable areas, it said.

Meanwhile, heavy rain in Shimla in the evening led to overflowing drains, while rainwater flowing on roads affected traffic movement at several locations.

IMD, Shimla, also reported a significant rise of 2-8 degrees Celsius in maximum temperatures at most stations during the past 24 hours. Mandi recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at 33.7 degrees Celsius, while Bharmour was the coldest with a minimum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius.

Light to moderate rains continued across parts of the state since Friday evening, with Dharamshala recording the highest rainfall at 80.5 mm, followed by Palampur 62 mm, Berthin, 50.7 mm, Pachhad 41.3 mm, Gohar 40 mm, Mandi 39.8 mm, Mashobra 32.5 mm, Slapper 31.6 mm, Kangra 30.4 mm, Jubberhatti 29.5, Sarahan 28.7 mm, Sundernagar 24.6 mm, Joggindernagar and Sainj 23 mm, Jatton Barrage 20.4 mm.

“During monsoon, the body is prone to infections. Most diseases in the rainy season are waterborne, such as jaundice, cholera and other gastrointestinal illnesses, and drinking filtered or boiled water is essential,” an advisory issued by the Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited said.

In the rainy season, turbidity increases in the water sources, and the possibility that it might interfere with disinfection, allowing harmful microbes to grow, including bacteria, viruses and parasites, cannot be ruled out, a statement issued here said and requested the public to drink water after boiling it for 10 minutes.

— With PTI