Monsoon Rains Claim 259 Lives and Cause Rs 1,200 Crore Damage in Himachal Pradesh

The water supply network has also suffered disruption, with 40 schemes currently affected. Hamirpur accounts for 23 of the disrupted schemes, while Shimla has reported 17.

NEW DELHI: Monsoon rains have claimed 259 lives and caused damage worth more than Rs 1,200 crore across Himachal Pradesh in just 64 days, according to State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) data. Meanwhile, the latest spell of rain has severely affected connectivity, with 150 roads currently blocked across Himachal Pradesh. Mandi has reported the highest number of closures at 78, followed by Shimla with 30. Fresh rainfall has also disrupted power and water supplies across the hill state. Essential services have also been hit. As many as 374 distribution transformer regions (DTRs) are out of service, affecting power supply across several districts. Mandi has recorded 128 affected DTRs, followed by Shimla with 84 and Kullu with 81. The water supply network has also suffered disruption, with 40 schemes currently affected. Hamirpur accounts for 23 of the disrupted schemes, while Shimla has reported 17. The mounting disruptions come against the backdrop of a deadly monsoon season that has claimed 259 lives between June 30 and September 1. Of the total fatalities, 106 were caused by rain and disaster-related incidents, including 18 deaths in landslides and 13 due to drowning. Another 153 people died in road accidents during the period. Lahaul and Spiti, the high-altitude tribal district, recorded 15 deaths linked to monsoon-related disasters. The rains have also inflicted extensive damage on public and private infrastructure, with the cumulative losses estimated at Rs 1,202.64 crore. The Public Works Department bore the biggest share of the damage at more than Rs 914 crore, while the Jal Shakti Vibhag reported losses exceeding Rs 258 crore.

The disaster has completely damaged 460 houses and resulted in the deaths of 460 animals, the SEOC data showed. State government departments and field agencies are now carrying out restoration operations in affected districts, working to reopen blocked roads and restore power and water supply. With the monsoon continuing to disrupt normal life, the latest figures underline the scale of the crisis facing Himachal Pradesh, where hundreds of lives have been lost and critical infrastructure has suffered extensive damage in just over two months.