Month after June 30 Disaster: Behind Mandi’s monsoon mayhem connect, experts see man-made factors

Apoorva Devgan, Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, said, “We have recovered three bodies. One person sustained injuries while a woman is missing. The deceased were identified as Balbir Singh, son of Krishan Singh; Amarpreet Singh and his mother Sapna. Amarpreet’s father Darshan Singh sustained injuries and is admitted to Mandi Zonal Hospital”.

He said rescuer saved over a dozen people who were trapped inside their homes. A relief camp has been set up at Vipasha Sadan as several houses have been damaged and some people have shifted to safer places and taken shelter at homes of their friends and relatives, he said.

The fresh disaster comes a month after a series of cloudbursts in a span of one-and-a-half hours, spread over 20 hectares, triggered widespread devastation in the night of June 30 impacting four Assembly constituencies. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), based on testimonies from affected residents, site inspections, and scientific data, ruled that not less than 12 cloudbursts occurred that night.

The water levels in five seasonal rivulets had risen unexpectedly, and the width of local nullahs expanded from a few feet to between 30 and 45 meters, affecting human settlements located at a significant distance from the streambeds. The SDMA also identified over two dozen large and small sites where landslides occurred in the aftermath of the cloudbursts.

The worst affected areas — Bagsiad, Bagchanogi, Jhanjheli, Thunag, Dharampur, Karsog, and Gohar — fall under the Seraj, Karsog, and Dharampur Assembly constituencies.

DC Rana, General Secretary, SDMA, told The Indian Express, “Mandi has become the epicentre of disasters in Himachal Pradesh over the last three monsoons. While damage is being reported from across the state, Mandi has borne the brunt in terms of infrastructure and human life loss. We have observed that being in the Mid-Himalayan region, disasters often strike Mandi during the initial days of the monsoon”.

Talking about the June 30 devastation in the Seraj region, Rana said, “Based on survivor accounts and on-ground inspection, we identified 12 locations where cloudbursts occurred. However, given the scale of destruction, it is likely that more cloudbursts took place than those we have mapped so far. The magnitude of the loss suggests that the actual impact was much greater. While our final report is pending, we have shared our preliminary findings with two multidisciplinary central teams that visited the affected areas in Mandi”.

While the tragedy sparked political and public outcry, it was not an isolated incident. In a detailed presentation to the central teams, Rana presented a bleak picture of the state’s increasing vulnerability. Since 2018, Himachal Pradesh has recorded 148 cloudbursts, 294 flash floods, and over 5,000 landslides — a pattern that reflects the intensifying climate volatility in the fragile Himalayan region.

Although the SDMA has yet to determine the exact trigger for the June 30 cloudbursts, it has pointed to extreme weather events, global warming, and unregulated construction as probable contributing factors to what is now being described as the worst monsoon tragedy of 2025.

As of now, 24 bodies have been recovered from the Mandi disaster zone, while 27 people remain missing. Of the recovered bodies, 10 are still unidentified. The missing include 19 people from Jhanjheli, seven from Gohar, and one from Karsog. Notably, 11 of the missing were residents of the Deji village, one of the first to be hit by cloudburst and subsequent flash floods.

More than 500 homes were completely washed away, and another 1,000 were rendered uninhabitable. Additionally, over 300 cattle are believed to have been swept away in the floodwaters. In terms of infrastructure, 254 roads — 176 of them in rural areas — remain blocked, while 172 electricity lines and 89 major water supply schemes are still disrupted.

Although the SDMA has yet to pinpoint the definite cause of the devastation, environmental activist Guman Singh is unequivocal in his assessment.

“Man-made factors are largely responsible for these floods and landslides. If muck, mud, and debris are entering the main town and homes in Mandi year after year, it clearly indicates that humans are polluting natural nullahs, hillsides, and rivulets by dumping construction waste into them. Water will always find its way. The initial days of the monsoon always bring destruction because the natural drainage paths are clogged with debris and garbage,” he said.

He added, “Changing weather patterns and increased instances of torrential rainfall, driven by global warming, will only accelerate such disasters. We must ensure that all infrastructure projects are planned with geological, geographical, and watershed considerations in mind. Without this, we are inviting disaster. While climate change is now a harsh reality with no reversal, nature conservation must be complemented with scientific and technological solutions to ensure future safety and survivability.”

Noted environmentalist Kulbhushan Upmanyu, president of the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, also expressed concern over the destruction in the Seraj region. “Rampant construction in the form of mega hydro projects in the Himalayas appears to be linked to this disaster. I am not against development, but ongoing construction projects must undergo critical evaluation in terms of ecological impact and the fragile topography of Himachal Pradesh. It is worth noting that this region also faced severe devastation during last year’s monsoon. The government must investigate the causes thoroughly and establish a strong disaster-prevention mechanism for the future,” he said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered a comprehensive probe through a high-level committee which is expected to examine not only the immediate reasons behind the Mandi cloudbursts but also potential structural lapses in the state’s preparedness and response systems.

In 2024, Mandi reported the highest number of landslides in the state, with nine incidents. Kinnaur and Shimla followed with six each, Lahaul & Spiti and Chamba recorded four each, Solan three, Kullu two, and Bilaspur one.

Village Deji’s silent grief

The remote village of Deji in Thunag bore the brunt of the cloudburst’s fury on June 30. Eleven residents, including five children, four women, and two men remain untraceable and are presumed dead. Families, devastated and resigned to their fate, are grappling with the painful possibility that their loved ones may never return. What compounds their suffering is the forensic uncertainty. DNA samples collected from grieving relatives have yet to match any of the remains recovered, leaving many families without closure. Hem Singh, whose daughter Kanta Devi and three granddaughters were washed away, said, “My son-in-law and I gave our DNA samples to the doctors and police team. Later, we were told that our samples did not match those of the recovered bodies. Despite this, we performed the last rites of our beloved ones.”

Merely one DNA sample matched so far

Out of 21 collected DNA samples, only one could help establish the identity of a body out of 11 recovered so far. According to the Superintendent of Police, Mandi, Sakshi Verma, “21 DNA samples were collected including 14 from Janjehli and 7 from Gohar. The results of 7 DNA samples collected from Gohar were received so far and merely one sample was matched. The body was identified as Parwati Devi, 47, who had gone missing from village Pangliyur. The results of 14 DNA samples taken of the residents of Janjheli were still awaited.”