Himachal rains: Dam collapses at Malana hydro project amid flashfloods in Kullu; watch video
The ancient village of Malana in Kullu district — known for its unique lifestyle and social structure — was cut off when the heavy currents of Malana river washed away the sole bridge to the village.
Also, a dam at the Malana-I Hydropower Project in Kullu district collapsed following continuous heavy rainfall, triggering flash floods and widespread panic downstream.
The surge of water swept away heavy machinery, including a hydra crane, dumper truck, rock breaker, and a vehicle.
The horrifying footage of the incident has gone viral, showing powerful currents tearing through the dam site.
No casualties have been reported.
The Parvati River, swollen by the rains, has seen a significant rise in water level and continues to pose a threat as it flows into the Beas River near Bhuntar.
A total of 285 roads, including the Chandigarh-Manali and Manali-Leh national highways, were closed for vehicular traffic following landslides and floods in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.
Of these, 175 roads were closed in the rain-ravaged Mandi district, followed by 67 in Kullu, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). It added that 314 power distribution transformers and 221 water supply schemes were affected across the state.
The Manali-Leh NH-3 was closed at Jispa in Lahaul and Spiti district as floods in Masheran nallah scattered big rocks and debris on the road, the videos of which have gone viral. The floods also damaged fields of several people.
There were reports of a few houses being damaged or endangered in Sarna and Manoh villages of Shahpur in Kangra district, though no casualty was reported.
The local Met office on Friday issued a yellow warning for heavy rains in isolated areas of 3-10 districts of the state till Tuesday.
From the onset of monsoon in the state on June 20 till August 1, Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,678 crore. So far, 98 people have died and 36 have gone missing in rain-related incidents, while 1,526 houses have been fully or partially damaged. The state has witnessed 47 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts and 42 major landslides.
Himachal Tribune