Shimla, July 7: Torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 72 people in Himachal Pradesh and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and essential services, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Sunday.
The worst-affected area is the hill district of Mandi, which has borne the brunt of cloudbursts and flash floods over the past 48 hours. “A lot of havoc is wreaked during the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh. Nearly 72 people have lost their lives. The epicentre of this is Mandi, which suffered a lot of loss,” Agnihotri told reporters.
Emergency crews and government workers have been mobilised to restore roads, electricity, and water supply, he said, adding that relief camps with food and medical facilities have been set up in severely affected zones.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 269 roads remain blocked, 285 power transformers are out of service, and 278 water supply schemes have failed due to rainfall-triggered landslides and flooding.
Other heavily impacted districts include Kullu, where 39 roads are blocked in sub-divisions like Banjar and Nirmand, and Chamba, which reported 32 blocked roads and 17 damaged transformers in Salooni, Dalhousie, and Bharmour.
Despite the widespread rainfall and localised damage, the water levels in major dams remain within safe operational limits, SEOC confirmed in its July 6 dam status report. Hydroelectric power generation has also remained largely unaffected, offering a measure of stability amid the chaos.
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said landslides, waterlogging, and infrastructure damage had severely disrupted connectivity and services across multiple districts. Field teams are on high alert, particularly in the Mandi and Kullu regions, with restoration efforts ongoing.
“Though it is a challenge, officers and workers are working with full force, rising above politics to keep our people safe,” Agnihotri said. India’s northern hill states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, are particularly vulnerable to landslides and floods during the annual monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
