Power, water supply situation grim in Himachal Pradesh

Posted By: Shweta Khandal

Posted On: July 10, 2023

Shimla: There has been continuous heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh since Saturday morning. Sadly, eight people have lost their lives, three people are missing, and many are stuck in different places.

There have been about 20 landslides and 17 flash floods in various areas. Around 800 roads, including five important highways such as Mandi-Kullu, Gramphu to Losar, Kullu to Manali, Aut to Jalori, and NH-707 near Shillai, are closed for traffic.

As a result, about 1,743 distribution transformers are not working, causing power outages in many areas. Additionally, most hydropower projects have been stopped due to heavy silt in the rivers.

The Larji power project, which generates 120 megawatts of electricity from the Beas River, has been severely damaged by the flooding.

About 140 water supply systems have also been affected. The flooded rivers and streams have damaged or washed away many houses, buildings, and vehicles.

The non-stop rain has caused many landslides and flash floods. Unfortunately, all eight deaths were a result of landslides.

This morning, a house in Kotgarh village in Shimla collapsed due to heavy debris, leading to the tragic deaths of three family members. In a nearby town, a young girl lost her life, and her grandmother got buried under the rubble.

Similarly, in another village close to Theog, a mother and her son were trapped under the debris. Two additional deaths occurred in Kullu and Chamba districts due to landslides.

Surender Paul, the Director of the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, mentioned that we can expect a significant decrease in rainfall and distribution starting from July 11.