Orange alert issued in Himachal; roads blocked, Kinnar Kailash Yatra postponed
Several roads were blocked and the ongoing Kinnar Kailash Yatra halted due to incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.
The pilgrimage to Kinnar Kailash, the winter abode of Lord Shiva located at an altitude of 19.850 feet in Kinnaur district, commenced on July 15 and was to continue till August 30.
However, the rains have rendered the journey unsafe and hence the pilgrimage stands halted until the weather clears up and the route is declared safe, Kinnaur Police said. The Lahaul and Spiti administration has also temporarily suspended bike rides on the Manali-Leh highway until further orders.
Torrential rains have led to the closure of around 250 roads in Himachal Pradesh. Accoring to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 181 roads were closed in disaster-hit Mandi, 26 in Sirmaur and 23 in Kullu district, while 61 water supply schemes and 81 power distribution transformers were affected as of Friday morning.
The local meteorological office has issued an orange alert for ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall in isolated areas of the state on July 21 and 23, officials said. A yellow alert has been issued for ‘heavy’ rains at isolated places till Sunday.
Meanwhile, ‘light’ to ‘moderate’ rains lashed parts of the state on Thursday evening.
Jogindernagar received 40 mm of rain, Sarahan 38 mm, Jatton Barrage 28.6 mm, Kothi 28.4 mm, Shilaroo 26.4 mm, Murari Devi 26 mm, Narkanda 25.5 mm, Jot 23 mm, Poanta Sahib 22.2 mm, Dharamshala 21 mm, Palampur 19.8 mm, Kufri 18.1 mm, Shimla 16.6 mm, Dhaulakuan 14 mm, Manali 12.2 mm, Jubbarhatti 12 mm and Solan 11.2 mm. Kangra and Palampur witnessed thunderstorms while Kufri and Bajaura saw gusty winds with speeds ranging from 37 to 39 kilometres per hour.
The State Emergency Operation Centre said that from the onset of monsoon on June 20 to July 17, around 112 people have lost their lives — 67 in rain-related incidents and 45 in road accidents. Around 199 people have been injured, while 35 are missing, it added.
Himachal Pradesh, which has witnessed 31 flash floods, 22 cloudbursts and 19 landslides this monsoon, has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,220 crore, the department said.
Meanwhile, officials said search operations are still continuing to trace the 27 people who were washed away in the cloudburst and landslides that hit parts of Mandi district on June 30 night.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government is working round-the-clock to provide relief and rehabilitation to people affected by natural disasters. He added that Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur is in constant touch with him, as his constituency Seraj has suffered extensive damages.
Besides Seraj, other areas including Dharampur, Karsog and Nachan have also been severely affected by the rains, Sukhu said in a statement, adding that Union ministers have been apprised in detail about the situation in these regions during his recent Delhi visit.
“I hope the people of the state will receive some relief when the Union Home Minister visits Himachal Pradesh,” the CM added.
He emphasised that rehabilitation of the affected people is a prime responsibility of the state government. Non-forest lands will be allocated to them, as the allocation of forest lands would require approval from the Central government.
“The state’s priority is to reopen roads in the disaster-hit regions to ensure farmers and horticulturists can transport apples, vegetables and other produce to the markets without hindrance,” Sukhu said.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri informed that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation has resumed mini bus services on several routes in Seraj from Friday.
Himachal Tribune