SHIMLA: Torrential rain caused widespread disruption across Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, triggering landslides and flash floods that blocked 129 roads, including the vital Chandigarh-Shimla highway and the Kalka-Shimla heritage railway line. The state faces no immediate relief, as the weather department has issued a red alert for Monday.
A major landslide at Chakki Mod, near Parwanoo, blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla highway for hours, causing long traffic jams. This is not the first time this area has been affected; in 2023, a similar landslide completely wiped out a stretch of the highway, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) taking several months to fully restore it.
Landslides also impacted other major roads, including Shimla-Chamyana and Arki-Shalaghat in Solan, disrupting traffic for hours. The worst-hit area was Sirmaur district, where 57 roads were blocked. Mandi followed with 44 blocked roads, and Kullu reported 19 closures. Additionally, six trains on the heritage Kalka-Shimla line were halted due to boulders and fallen trees on the tracks. Railway officials cleared the tracks by 9 AM, allowing services to resume shortly after.
Flash floods surged through several districts, including Mandi and Hamirpur, with even smaller rivulets overflowing. In Bilaspur, the under-construction railway tunnel at Jagatkhana was inundated, and the floodgates of the Pandoh Dam in Mandi district were opened to manage the rising water levels.
According to the Shimla Met Office, Solan received the highest rainfall, recording 98.3 mm on Sunday. Mandi followed with 73.2 mm, while Sirmaur saw 63.4 mm, Shimla 42.8 mm, Bilaspur 38.7 mm, Hamirpur 32.2 mm, and Kangra 30.8 mm. Overall, the state received an average of 22.3 mm of rain, which is 313% above the usual 5.4 mm for this time of year.
The weather department has issued an orange alert for Monday, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Una, Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, and Sirmaur districts. Since the monsoon season began, the State Emergency Operation Centre has reported 20 deaths due to weather-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh since June 20.
