Monsoon fury in Himachal claims 127 lives in two months
Excessive rains, flash floods and cloud bursts cause damage worth ₹282 crore, finds govt report
SHIMLA: As many as 127 people lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh during the monsoon season between June 15 and August 22 and the state suffered a total loss of ₹282 crores due to excessive rains, flash floods and cloud bursts.
As per the data revealed by the state government, HP public works department (PWD) has suffered a loss of ₹84.42 crores, irrigation and public health department incurred a loss of ₹18.92 crores, horticulture department of ₹1.2 crores while HP electricity board suffered a loss of ₹6.7 crores.
A spokesperson of the state government said that losses occurred due to excessive rains, flash floods and cloud burst incidents. Apart from this, two houses and 63 makeshift houses were completely destroyed while 37 houses and 265 makeshift houses were partially damaged.
The highest number of deaths, 27, was reported in Mandi district. Apart from this, 23 persons have died in Shimla district, 15 in Chamba, 12 in Solan, 11 each in Sirmaur and Bilaspur, nine each in Una and Hamirpur, eight each in Kinnaur and Lahaul-spiti five in Kullu and four in Kangra.
Bilaspur district has suffered a loss of ₹1.9 crores which is the highest in the state followed by Mandi which has suffered a loss of ₹1.69 crores.
Kangra has suffered a loss of ₹90.46 lakhs, Shimla has suffered a loss of ₹81 lakh due to heavy rainfall, Hamirpur of ₹61.46 lakh, Chamba of ₹50.64 lakhs, Kinnaur ₹48.54 lakhs, Una ₹28.68 lakhs, Solan ₹25.08 lakhs, Kullu ₹6.3 lakhs and Lahaul-spiti ₹2.4 lakhs.
Losses occurred due to excessive rains, flash floods and cloud bursts. Two houses and 63 makeshift houses were completely destroyed while 37 houses and 265 makeshift houses were partially damaged. Goverment spokesperson
STATE TO RECEIVE HEAVY RAINFALL FOR NEXT FOUR DAYS
Heavy rainfall is very likely to lash Himachal Pradesh for the next four days as State’s Meteorological Department has issued yellow warnings for the middle and lower hills of the state for August 24, 25, 26 and 27.
Director, State Meteorological Department Manmohan Singh said that rainfall is very likely to continue throughout the state till August 29. Monsoon was weak throughout the state on Sunday as light rain was witnessed in isolated parts of the state.
Minimum temperatures increased by one to two degrees while maximum temperatures increased by five to six degrees during the last 24 hours, he added.
The maximum temperature in the state’s capital Shimla was 23°C while in Kufri it was 18.6°C. Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie recorded 25.4°C, 27.8°C. and 20.2°C respectively.
The maximum temperature in Solan was 30°C, 29°C in Bilaspur, 28.7°C in Hamirpur, 28.8°C in Nahan, district Sirmaur and 25.7°C in Kalpa, district Kinnaur.
Una was the hottest place in the state as it recorded 36.4°C maximum temperature while Keylong in Lahaul-spiti district was the coldest in the state as it recorded 10.4°C minimum temperature.