78 roads including 2 national highways closed in Himachal Pradesh, rains continue

Shimla: A total of 78 roads, including national highways 5 and 707, were closed in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday following rains, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

Intermittent rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh and with a recorded rainfall of 90 mm, Baldwara was the wettest place in the hill state, followed by Bharari (74.2 mm), Jogindernagar (68 mm), Baijnath (60 mm), Aghar (55 mm), Kangra (54.5 mm), Shimla (50.2 mm), Karsog (45.2 mm), Nagrota Suriyan (41 mm), Rampur (40 mm), Shilaroo (35 mm), Jubbarhatti (26.8 mm) Baggi (24.7 mm), Sundernagar (23 mm), Manali (22 mm) and Dharamshala (20.2 mm).

Heavy rains lashed state capital Shimla on Tuesday evening, reducing visibility to a few metres. Accounts of landslides blocking roads poured in but no casualty was reported.

The local meteorological office has issued a "yellow" alert of thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in the state on Wednesday.

National Highway 707 is blocked between Hatkoti in Shimla district and Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district and National Highway 5 (the Hindustan-“Tibet road) is blocked near Negulsari in Kinnaur district.

The highest number of 25 roads were closed in Mandi, 16 in Sirmaur, 14 in Shimla, 10 in Kangra, nine in Kullu, two each in Solan and Kinnaur and one road each was closed in Lahaul and Spiti and Una districts, according to the data shared by the SEOC.

Six power and four water supply schemes have also been disrupted in the state, the SEOC said.

Himachal Pradesh's rainfall deficit since the onset of monsoon in the state on June 27 stands at 22 per cent, with the state receiving 491.1 mm rainfall against an average of 630.2 mm.

A total of 153 people have died in rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon season and the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 1,271 crore, officials said.

Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state, recording a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius, while Bilaspur was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees.