Torrential monsoon rains have thrown life out of gear in Himachal Pradesh, cutting off road connectivity, damaging power lines, and disrupting water supply across several districts. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), as of Wednesday evening, 582 roads — including two national highways — are blocked, 1,155 electricity transformers are out of service, and 346 water supply schemes have been hit.
The cumulative death toll from the monsoon havoc since June 20 has reached 310. Of these, 158 people died in landslides, flash floods, house collapses, and other rain-related incidents, while 152 lost their lives in road accidents linked to the bad weather.
Restoration work has been difficult due to continuous heavy rainfall, especially in Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and Shimla districts. Kullu alone reported 166 blocked roads, including stretches of NH-03 and NH-305. Power supply has been worst hit in Mandi and Kullu, where hundreds of transformers are down, leaving large areas in darkness. Drinking water supply has also collapsed in several places, with Kullu and Mandi districts the worst affected.
The SDMA warned that with weather alerts still in place, more damage and casualties cannot be ruled out. Officials have been asked to focus on restoring critical services and providing shelter to stranded people.
Casualties have been highest in Mandi (29 deaths), Kangra (30), Chamba (14), Kinnaur (14), and Kullu (13). Many deaths were caused by landslides, drowning, and electrocution, while road accidents — worsened by slippery roads and poor visibility — also claimed dozens of lives across the state.
Adding to the crisis, a 50-km-long traffic jam has paralyzed the Chandigarh-Kullu highway. Landslides have blocked the route at several points, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded, including hundreds of trucks carrying fruits and vegetables to Delhi-NCR markets. Truck drivers said that consignments of apples, tomatoes, and other produce worth crores are rotting. “My load of apples was supposed to reach Sahibabad fruit market, but it has been stuck in Kullu for five days,” said Gaffar, a truck driver.
Authorities said that while the road has been partially opened for small vehicles, trucks remain stuck due to multiple landslide blockages. “The Beas River’s strong current has damaged several parts of the highway. Repair work is underway,” said Ashok Chauhan, an engineer with the National Highways Authority of India in Kullu-Manali.
Manali Sub-Divisional Magistrate Raman Sharma confirmed that one side of Manali’s connectivity has been cut off. Since Monday, four shops, two restaurants, and one house have been damaged. In Bilaspur district, a house collapsed after heavy rain in Manjhed village.
The SDMA estimates that since June 20, rain-related incidents have left at least 38 people missing and caused damage worth over ₹2,623 crore.
