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Heavy rain since Sunday night triggered landslides, led to swollen rivers and streams, and disrupted road connectivity in several parts of Himachal Pradesh. Almost all districts, except Lahaul & Spiti, in the state have been receiving rainfall since Sunday night.
Authorities in the state ordered the closure of all the educational institutes in Chamba, Kangra, Una, and Lahaul and Spiti districts. As per the official directive, all schools and colleges — both government and private — including DIET, Anganwadi centres, degree colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, and engineering and pharmacy colleges will remain closed in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and the Kullu sub-divisions of Banjar, Kullu, and Manali.
“Instructions were issued as per the alert of IMD, Shimla,” Kiran Bhadana, Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul and Spiti, said.
According to IMD Shimla, Kahu in Bilaspur received 190.5 mm of rainfall, followed by Jot (159.2 mm), Berthin (156.4 mm), and Naina Devi (148.4 mm). Other major recordings include Ghaghas (148 mm), Bilaspur (140.8 mm), Bhattiyat-Chowari (140.2 mm), and Malraon (120 mm). Una received 80.8 mm, Dharamshala 87.4 mm, and Palampur 65.4 mm, highlighting widespread heavy precipitation.
In addition to the heavy rain, gusty winds up to 44 kmph were reported in Bilaspur, while thunderstorms struck Shimla, Sundernagar, Kangra, Palampur, Jot, Murari Devi, and Bhuntar. Rising water levels in rivers and rivulets, coupled with fresh landslides, have severely disrupted traffic on key routes in Kullu and adjoining areas.
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The Meteorological Department has issued warnings for continued moderate to heavy rainfall in several districts, urging residents to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel, especially in landslide-prone zones.
Jatin Lal, Deputy Commissioner, Una, said that the MeT department forecast heavy rain for Monday in the district. Many houses were submerged in the water in different areas of Una due to the continued heavy rain.
In view of the situation, which includes rising water levels and multiple road blockages, Torul S Ravish, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Kullu, ordered the closure of all educational institutions Monday.
The Shimla centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that light to medium rainfall with one or two spells of heavy rainfall, along with low visibility, is expected in Shimla. On Sunday evening, IMD issued an alert for heavy rain in 10 districts, including Hamirpur, Bilsapur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmour, Solan, and Una, for at least 12 hours.
625 roads, 1,533 power lines down
As of Monday morning, 625 roads, including three National Highways (NH-03, NH-154, and NH-305), remain blocked due to landslides and mudslides. This marks a steep increase from 482 closures reported Sunday evening.
Many key routes in Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba districts are either partially open or completely inaccessible, leaving several areas cut off.
Power infrastructure has also taken a massive hit, with 1,533 distribution transformers (DTRs) disrupted, up from 941 on Sunday evening, plunging thousands of households into darkness.
In addition, 168 water supply schemes were also currently affected, triggering concerns over drinking water availability in rural and semi-urban belts of Himachal Pradesh.
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