Tourists head home from Himachal as rains stop

Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary informed that efforts to reopen closed roads in the district were underway on a war footing. “The Public Works Department is working day and night to restore accessibility, with only 27 roads remaining closed out of the initially reported 59 affected roads. Among these, three are major district roads, 23 are rural roads, and one is a link road. However, 32 roads have been successfully reopened,” he said.

He further stated that in the Sundarnagar Mandal, the Salapar-Tattapani and Karangal-Kinder roads are closed. In the Saraj Mandal, out of 18 closed roads, only six roads, including Sangarwar-Tarambali Dhar, Ghatlambari-Thunag, Shilli Bhagi-Chauljhanjehali, and Thunag-Dhar, remain closed. In the Karsog Mandal, the Kothlu-Katanda road is closed. In the Thalout Mandal, the Masar-Banolai, Diyar-Daud, Hatua-Bhawas, Kholana-Kune, Thach-Kasode, Hanogi-Saloi, and Kashmali Dhar-Banwari link road are closed. In the Jogindernagar Mandal, the Kunduni-Kasae, Ejju-Basahi, and Dugon-Salera roads are closed. In the Dharampur Mandal, only two roads, Badyar-Harabag and Halwani-Baral via Riyur, are closed.

Due to the heavy rain, electricity supply has not been restored in one out of the 4,013 installed transformers in the district. Efforts are underway to restore power supply as soon as possible.

The district has incurred an estimated loss of 623.5 million due to the rain. Approximately 40 lakh worth of damage has been reported in the Municipal Council Mandi area, with damaged houses and temporary shelters.

SDM Mandi, Om Kant, appealed to the general public to avoid venturing towards hills, rivers, and streams and emphasised the need to exercise caution until the situation returns to normal. As a precautionary measure, access to Prashar Lake has also been restricted until the situation stabilises to prevent any untoward incidents.