Manali: A week-long yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued for several regions of Himachal Pradesh. A cloudburst in Manali has caused significant damage, including the collapse of a house in Palchan and damage to a hydroelectric project, The Weather Channel reported.
Several areas in Himachal experienced heavy rainfall last night, with Palampur recording 68.0 mm, Dhaula Kuan 44.0 mm, Naina Devi 42.6 mm, Dharamshala 35.4 mm, BBMB 27.0 mm, Dalhousie 25.0 mm, Shimla 24.8 mm, and Chamba 22.0 mm of rain.
The situation worsened when a cloudburst near Anjani Mahadev, close to Solang Nala in Manali, led to widespread devastation in Palchan during the night. The debris blocked the Palchan bridge, disrupting the Manali-Leh highway, and a house in Palchan collapsed due to floodwaters.
Additionally, a landslide near the Printing Press on the Shimla-Chakkar-Manali road disrupted traffic on Thursday morning, with vehicles being diverted through Tawi Mor and Balungj until the highway was cleared. The Public Works Department restored the highway around 9:30 AM. Another landslide on the Paonta Sahib-Shillai NH-707 caused long traffic jams, stranding several vehicles, including private and government buses. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly to reach stranded people, clear roads, and provide relief to affected populations. The state government has declared a state of emergency and is seeking central assistance to cope with the crisis.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, several parts of the state are under a yellow alert for heavy rain from today until July 31. The state is struggling with the monsoon, with dozens of rain-related deaths reported so far this season and financial losses exceeding 300 crores.
