Monsoon continues to disrupt life across Himachal Pradesh, at least 109 killed, 226 roads blocked

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) confirmed that monsoon caused a total of 109 deaths between June 20 and July 16, 2025, in Himachal Pradesh. Of these, 64 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents, while 45 died in road accidents, underlining the extensive human toll of this year's monsoon fury.According to the morning report from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) issued on July 17, 2025, 226 roads, including National Highway 707 near Uttari, remain blocked, primarily due to landslides and heavy rainfall. Additionally, 52 Distribution Transformer Regions (DTRs) and 137 water supply schemes have been disrupted across districts like Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, and Sirmaur. The data, compiled by SEOC, highlights that rain-related deaths occurred due to landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, electrocution, snake bites, and falls from steep slopes. The worst-hit districts in terms of rain-linked fatalities include Mandi and Kangra, each reporting 16 deaths, followed by Hamirpur (8), Kullu (4), and Chamba (3).Simultaneously, the state reported 45 deaths in road accidents, with the highest toll from Kullu and Solan (7 each), Chamba (6), and several others from Shimla, Kangra, Kinnaur, and Mandi districts.The SDMA also reported extensive damage to public utilities and private property, with total monetary losses exceeding ₹883 crore. Moreover, 1,228 cattle and 21,500 poultry birds have perished during the season.

The state government has activated continuous monitoring through SEOC and is coordinating with all district administrations to ensure rapid response and restoration. Relief operations, including ex-gratia payments, are underway for affected families.Citizens have been urged to remain alert as weather alerts continue for heavy rainfall in several parts of the state.Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that a central team would soon visit the state to study the cloudburst and the damage caused by the flash floods in the state.CM Sukhu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday and apprised him that the state had suffered damages amounting to around Rs 1000 crore, even as the monsoon had just begun. During the meeting, CM Sukhu informed Home Minister Shah that precious lives had been lost and key infrastructure, including roads, bridges, buildings, irrigation schemes, water supply schemes and electricity supply systems, had been severely affected during this disaster. The Chief Minister requested support from the Central Government for relief and restoration works. He further said that natural disasters had become a recurring phenomenon since 2023 and the state had incurred cumulative losses of approximately Rs 21,000 crore over the last three years, as per the release.