Shimla: A total of 125 roads were closed in Himachal Pradesh following rain, and Mandi district was hit hardest, with the Shimla Met Office on Sunday predicting a wet spell in the state till August 29.
Heavy rain caused waterlogging, turning the historic Clock Tower (Ghantaghar) complex within the Indira Market, located in the heart of Mandi city, into a pond. Following this, the Mandi Traders' Association released videos of the waterlogging and demanded action from the Municipal Corporation.
Residents said a section of road and a wall collapsed near 'Chamda Mod', about one kilometre from Kotropi on the Mandi-Pathankot National Highway, bringing traffic to a halt. Officials said, however, they cleared the passage for small vehicles by cutting into the hillside.
The road collapse caused damage extending to a depth of about 200 metres, and the debris, combined with the strong water flow, uprooted several pine trees. After receiving news of the incident, SDM Padhar Surjit Singh Thakur and panchayat representatives inspected the site, and the administration banned heavy vehicles and buses, diverting them to alternative routes.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reported that as of Saturday evening, 125 roads were closed to vehicular traffic in the state. Additionally, it said 33 transformers and 20 drinking water supply schemes were disrupted. Mandi reported the highest number of road blockages at 62, followed by Kullu (31), Shimla (10), Chamba and Kangra (8) each, Una (4) and Bilaspur and Lahaul-Spiti (1) each, the SEOC said.
Moderate to heavy rain lashed parts of the state over the past 24 hours, since Saturday evening. Mandi received 124.4 mm of rain, followed by Kangra with 115.8 mm, Sundernagar with 74.3 mm, Dharamshala with 69.4 mm, Palampur with 46.4 mm, Poanta Sahib with 46.2 mm, Nahan with 37.7 mm, and Sarahan with 25.1 mm.
Between August 1 and 23, the state received 185.3 mm of rainfall against a normal of 207.7 mm, a deficit of 11 per cent, Shimla Met Office said. Since the monsoon began on June 30, about 94 people have died in rain-related incidents, and the state has suffered losses amounting to Rs 1,137 crore, officials said.