Heavy Rains And Flash Floods Struck Himachal Pradesh, Marginal Weather Conditions Will Continue
The state of Himachal Pradesh has been struck by inclement weather conditions across many parts. The fury of the monsoon, coupled with overflowing water bodies, has stranded tourists and razed some infrastructure. Incidents of cloudbursts, landslides, waterlogging, and heavy downpours have disrupted normal life across many districts of the state. The state’s operation center has identified landslide-prone locations, and the Sanchol area has been declared the most vulnerable. Dharamshala, the district headquarters of Kangra, and Jatogh in the Shimla district have been included among the high-risk locations.
Mandi received a deluge of 217 mm of rainfall in 24 hours. The Beas River is in spate, endangering downstream areas. In addition, due to the heavy inflow of water into the Pandoh Dam on the Beas River, nearly 1.5 lakh cusecs of water have been released, further aggravating the situation. For safety and security reasons, visitors have been moved to temporary shelters, pending improvement in weather conditions.
The state has come under the wrath of disastrous weather due to multiple factors converging. The southwest monsoon has just advanced over the mountainous states. A western disturbance has fueled the monsoon fury. The proximity of the shifting monsoon trough has amplified the scale and extent of the weather conditions. The complexity of the terrain has compounded the overall degree of difficulty. Inaccessibility of far-flung areas has restricted relief operations.
The rough weather conditions are likely to continue for the next 3–4 days. The lower and middle ranges of the state will be more vulnerable. The saturated mountain slopes will increase the threat of landslides, rolling stones, and boulders. The overflowing water bodies, rivers, and streams will pose hazardous conditions along riparian wetlands. Due to persistent rains in the catchment areas, the water bodies tend to keep responding even after the rains mellow down or stop. As unsafe weather conditions are likely to persist, utmost caution needs to be exercised before declaring ‘ops normal.’
