Rain claims 100 lives in Himachal since start of monsoon; 97 roads closed at the moment

Shimla, Aug 8 (PTI) Rain has taken 100 lives since the onset of monsoon on June 27 and continues to thwart the traffic in the state with 97 roads closed at the moment, officials said on Thursday.

The Met office on Thursday issued an 'orange' warning, foreboding heavy to very rainfall, marked by thunderstorm and lightning, at places in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts for Saturday.

According to the state emergency operation centre, 30 people died after falling from a height, 23 in accidental drowning, 14 of snake bite, 13 due to electrocution, 11 in cloudburst, three in flash floods and one in landslide and five due to other reasons.

The maximum deaths, 21, were reported from Mandi, followed by 18 in Kangra while Shimla and Sirmaur districts for nine deaths each.

The Met also warned of a low to moderate flash flood in parts of Sirmaur, Chamba, Shimla, and Mandi districts in the next 24 hours.

By Thursday evening, 40 roads were closed in Mandi, 26 in Kullu, 15 in Shimla, six in Kangra, four each in Sirmaur and Lahaul and Spiti, and one each in Hamirpur and Kinnaur districts.

The traffic was restricted to one side of the road on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway 5 due to debris on the road near Kandaghat in Solan district. Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road.

Forty-five transformers and 25 water supply schemes are affected in the state, the state emergency centre said.

Shillaroo recorded the highest rainfall at 86.4 mm since Wednesday evening, followed by Kufri (78 mm), Baggi (76.6 mm), Sundernagar (64.2 mm), Mandi (60.2 mm), Gohar (57.4 mm), Jogindernagar (53 mm), Pandoh (50 mm), Palampur (48.8 mm), Dharamshala (38.6 mm), Shimla (34 mm) Narkanda (28.5 mm), Bilaspur Jubbarhatti (25 mm each), Kangra (22.6 mm), Dhaulakuan (22 mm), and Manali (16 mm).

The water supply to Shimla city can be disturbed for the next 2-3 days due to turbidity in the water sources, the Shimla Jal Prabandhak Nigam said.

The state received 29 per cent deficit rainfall till August 8, beginning from Jun1, the date monsoon hits the country.

The state received 307.9 mm rainfall against an average of 435.5 mm during this period.

In August so far, Himachal Pradesh has recorded 80.8 mm rainfall against a normal of 78.5 mm.

The Met office has warned of the possibility of landslides and flash floods in some places, as well as damage to plantations, crops, vulnerable structures and kutcha houses due to strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.

According to the government, the state suffered losses of about Rs 802 crore between June 27 and August 8, officials said.