Himachal reels under monsoon fury, Govt. declares state-wide disaster response on war footing
Shimla, Sept 1:
The Himachal Pradesh government has swung into emergency mode as relentless monsoon rains continue to batter the state, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, who also heads the State Disaster Management Authority, issued a sweeping order on Monday, directing all departments and agencies to act on a war footing.
Since June 19, the state has been lashed by heavy downpours with multiple spells of extreme weather striking Dharamshala, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti and other districts. Between June and August alone, Himachal has witnessed 45 cloudbursts, 91 flash floods, and 105 major landslides, causing large-scale destruction.
So far, 161 lives have been lost, with 40 still missing. Another 154 people perished in road accidents during the monsoon period.
Over 845 houses were completely destroyed, while 3,254 were partially damaged. The state government has pegged reported losses at ₹3,056 crore—a figure officials admit does not capture the full extent of destruction, especially to national highways.
Connectivity remains crippled with over 780 roads blocked, 360 water supply schemes disrupted, and 2,274 distribution transformers down. Key highways to Manali, Lahaul-Spiti and Bharmour remain severely damaged.
The Manimahesh Yatra has been hit hard, with thousands of pilgrims stranded in Chamba and Bharmour in recent days despite large-scale rescue efforts.
The Chief Secretary’s order instructs:
All departments to strictly implement Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) notified earlier.
Deputy Commissioners to exercise full powers under the Disaster Management Act for emergency orders.
PWD, Jal Shakti Vibhag and HPSEBL to speed up restoration of roads, water supply, and power.
District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) to ensure timely relief to affected families.
Telecom service providers to restore mobile and landline connectivity on war footing.
Local bodies, including PRIs and ULBs, to coordinate with DDMAs for relief and restoration work.
The government admitted that despite round-the-clock efforts by state and district authorities, the monsoon’s prolonged fury continues to disrupt daily life, supply of essentials, and transportation of apple and vegetable produce.
With the weatherman predicting heavy rains till September 2, the order stressed that the pace of response must be “further accelerated and speeded up” to meet the crisis.
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