Tribune News Service
Shimla, September 23
Rain-related incidents have claimed 432 lives during the current monsoon season while 12 persons are still missing. The monsoon had arrived in the state on June 13, about 12 days in advance and is slated to withdraw in the first week of October.
The death toll is the highest in the past five years, said special secretary Disaster management Sudesh Kumar Mokta. As many as 54 persons died in landslides, 11 in flashfloods and cloudbursts, nine of electricution, 37 drowned, 55 died after falling from cliffs, roofs or buildings while one person was killed in lightning. As many as 215 persons were killed in accidents and 60 persons were killed in other incidents.
The monsoon withdrew on September 30 in 2020 and on October 12 in 2019, the longest delay since 1982. In 2018, the monsoon withdrew on October 1, while it withdrew on September 30 in 2017, on October 5 in 2016, September 29 in 2015 and on October 5 in 2014.
As many as 123 roads (55 in Shimla, 33 in Sirmaur, 12 in Mandi, six each in Kangra and Kullu, five in Hamirpur, four in Bilaspur and two in Solan) are blocked.
A shooting stone hit a vehicle near Shoghi on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway this evening, seriously injuring two occupants of a car. The injured have been admitted to the IGMC, Shimla. The road is open for one-way traffic.
The Powari-Kaza National Highway was blocked ahead of Powri in Kinnaur district after stones fell on it from the hilltop.
Vehicular traffic came to a halt as a large stretch of the Rahighat-Kyartu road in Theog sub division of Shimla district was washed away due to heavy rain. A large number of vehicles, including apple-laden trucks, were stranded on the road. The Kotkhai- Chol road and several link roads were blocked due to landslides, triggered by intermittent heavy rains.
Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the state. Solan received 83 mm of rain, followed by Naina Devi 76 mm, Jhandutta 60 mm, Shimla 50.6 mm, Palampur, Chopal and Kufri 49 mm each, Una 43 mm, Sangrah 40 mm, Jubbarhatti 38 mm, Rohru 37 mm, Baghi 36.5 mm, Rajgarh 36 mm, Renuka 35 mm, Pachhad and Nalagarh 34 mm each, Kandaghat 32 mm, Kasauli 31 mm, Sundernagar 28 mm, Arki and Bilaspur 26 mm each, Bilaspur 25 mm, Kahu 23 mm, Ghumarwin 22 mm and Nahan 21 mm.
The local MeT office has predicted a wet spell in the state till September 27. There was no notable change in the minimum temperatures and Keylong recorded a low of 9.1deg;C. The maximum temperatures increased by 3 to 4 degrees and Dharamsala recorded a high of 26.6deg;C.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service