Flash floods unleash havoc in Seraj

In the aftermath of the catastrophic cloudbursts and flash floods that struck the Seraj Assembly constituency in Mandi district on July 1, the environmental organisation Himalayan Niti Abhiyan has issued an urgent appeal to both the state and Centre. The NGO has called for an immediate aerial survey of the disaster-hit region and the deployment of military forces to intensify relief and rescue operations.

According to Guman Singh, coordinator of the organisation, the disaster has devastated the Thunag subdivision and its surrounding areas — including Jarol, Deji Pakhrair and Pandavshila — and is being described by locals as the worst calamity in a century. With widespread destruction across the region, more than 60,000 people have been affected, hundreds have been rendered homeless and entire settlements like Jarol market have been completely washed away.

“Roads and bridges have been obliterated, making ground access impossible. Basic infrastructure has collapsed, cutting off electricity, water supply, communication and food distribution,” Singh said. “This is a crisis of unimaginable proportions.”

In a plea, Singh urged authorities to recognise the gravity of the situation. “Villages are marooned, relief is delayed and people are dying. An aerial survey is essential to assess the real-time extent of damage and Army intervention is no longer optional — it is critical,” he said.

Singh added that several people remain missing in different parts of Seraj, with a few bodies recovered so far. Despite difficult terrain and weather, rescue teams have managed to evacuate 332 people, though dozens of villages remain inaccessible.

The situation is further aggravated by the India Meteorological Department’s warning of continued heavy rainfall in the region, threatening to escalate the already dire conditions.

Locals, stranded without shelter, food or medicine, are pleading for swift and large-scale assistance. “This is no longer just a natural disaster — it has become a humanitarian emergency,” said Singh. “If urgent action is not taken, the consequences could be devastating.”

Beyond immediate relief, the Himalayan Niti Abhiyan has highlighted the long-term implications of such disasters in fragile Himalayan ecosystems, attributing the increasing frequency and intensity of such events to climate change. The organisation has called for investment in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and disaster preparedness policies that align with the region’s ecological sensitivities.

Himachal Tribune