Cloudbursts wreak havoc in Himachal, 2 dead, over 50 people missing (Ld)

Shimla, Aug 1 (IANS) Two bodies were recovered and over 50 people went missing due to multiple cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu, Shimla and Mandi districts.

“Two additional battalions of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed by the Centre for relief and rescue operations,” Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said on Thursday.

After chairing a high-level meeting here to review the rescue and relief operations, the CM said Rampur Tehsil in Shimla, Padhar Tehsil in Mandi and Jaon in Nirmand Village of Kullu were the worst hit.

The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been requested to remain on high alert to handle any exigency as the Met department predicted that heavy rainfall would continue for the next 36 hours.

The tourist resort of Manali has been cut off after damage to the National Highway.

The calamity occurred at around 4.40 A.M., the CM told the media.

He added that there was damage to the dam of the Malan hydropower project in Kullu.

“There is some damage to the project. We are monitoring the situation and the government is working on a war footing,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to CM Sukhu on the phone to assess the situation following the cloudbursts that caused significant disruption in the Samej Khad area in Rampur in Shimla District.

HM Shah assured the CM Sukhu of central assistance and the support of the NDRF.

The CM, who is visiting disaster-hit areas, said two bodies were recovered and teams of NDRF, SDRF, police, Home Guard and fire services have been engaged in relief, search and rescue operations.

“The local administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations smoothly. I am in touch with officials and monitoring the relief and rescue operations,” he wrote on X, adding, “the state government is committed to provide all possible assistance.”

The main impact of the cloudbursts was seen in areas in Kullu District and in areas in Shimla District bordering Kullu.

In Rampur at least 36 people have gone missing. Teams of the ITBP, SDRF and Home Guards are conducting search and rescue operations there.

According to Mandi Police, a cloudburst occurred in Rajban Village near Terang in which two houses were washed away and one house was partially damaged. Nine people have been missing since then and one injured person has been rescued.

The Meteorological office in Shimla has issued an ‘Orange’ alert for heavy to very heavy rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, at isolated places in the state for the next 24 hours.

Reports say flash floods in the Beas and Parvati rivers in Kullu District have damaged public and private property.

After heavy rain, a portion of the hydropower project in Malana located on the Parvati River has been damaged.

The Kullu administration has issued an alert, advising people not to go near the river and water channels.

Union Minister and BJP Chief, JP Nadda spoke to the CM and assured all possible help from the Central government.

Nadda also spoke to former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and directed all BJP workers to engage in relief operations.

The weather office also warned of the possibility of landslides and flash floods in vulnerable areas of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kinnaur districts.

Heavy damage to public and private property was reported from Palchan to Patlikuhal in Kullu District.

Scores of bridges in Palchan and Nehrukund have been damaged due to flooding in the river, officials said.

A newly-constructed vegetable market building collapsed in Kullu.

The National Highway between Kullu and Manali has been blocked due to a flood near Kalath. Seeing the rising waters, people living on the river banks in Nehrukund, Bahang, Rangdi, Aloo Ground, Kalath, 17 Mile, 15 Mile and Patlikuhal fled from their homes.

The road in Palchan has also been damaged.

The Manali-Leh road has been closed due to massive landslides and the Manali administration remained busy throughout the night alerting people.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) (Manali) Raman Sharma told the media that the police personnel kept alerting the people living on the river banks by sounding sirens throughout the night.

He urged people to leave their homes only in case of emergency and not to travel.

--IANS

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