Himachal Pradesh monsoon fury: Orange alert for next 4 days; toll reaches 219, over 300 roads closed - top developments

NEW DELHI: Himachal Pradesh is facing another spell of heavy rain, with the weather office issuing an orange warning for the next four days. The ongoing monsoon fury has already claimed 219 lives and caused losses of nearly Rs 1,988 crore since June 20.

Authorities have urged residents to remain on alert, warning that the scale of damage this season has been “unprecedented”.

Here is what we know about the devastated region:

• Orange warning issued: The MeT (IMD) on Sunday warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the state from Monday to Thursday. Several districts are likely to see fresh disruption over the next 48 hours.
• Roads and infrastructure hit: As of Sunday, 360 roads, including the Aut–Sainj stretch of National Highway-305, were closed. Mandi district remains the worst-hit with 214 blocked routes, followed by Kullu with 92. Power supply has been disrupted to 145 transformers, while 520 water supply schemes are down.
• Death toll and damage: The monsoon death toll has climbed to 219 since June 20. Of these, 112 fatalities were due to rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods and house collapses, while 107 died in road accidents. Another 37 people remain missing. The state has reported 315 injuries and the loss of 876 livestock, including over 25,700 poultry birds.
• Monsoon excess: From June 1 to August 10, Himachal Pradesh recorded 507.3 mm of rainfall, 11% above normal. The season has seen 58 flash floods, 30 cloudbursts and 53 major landslides.
• District-wise impact: Mandi has suffered 23 rain-linked deaths and damage worth over Rs 1,164 lakh, followed by Kangra with 25 deaths, Kullu and Hamirpur with 10 each, and Chamba with nine. Kullu reported the most power outages with 50 transformers affected and down, while Mandi saw the largest hit to water supply, with 367 schemes affected.
• Dam situation under control: All major dams and barrages, including Bhakra, Pong, Kol, Nathpa and Karcham, are operating within permissible limits. The Kol Dam on the Satluj recorded inflows of 1,100 cumecs, while Pong Dam on the Beas saw 1,397 cumecs with an outflow of 1,078 cumecs. The Malana-II hydropower plant remains shut since the August 1 flash flood.
• Recent rain figures: Kangra received 68.4 mm of rainfall since Saturday night, followed by Murari Devi (52.6 mm), Palampur (52 mm), Sarahan (25 mm), Jubbarhatti (17 mm), Dharamshala (16.8 mm), and Kufri (11.2 mm). On Saturday, Naina Devi recorded the highest rainfall at 112.4 mm, while Pandoh logged 102 mm.
• Official warning: “The scale of damage this monsoon has been unprecedented. Restoration work is being carried out round the clock, but people are advised to remain vigilant, especially in landslide-prone and riverbank areas,” a senior state disaster management authority official told ANI.

Authorities continue to monitor pond levels, spillway outflows and catchment area weather conditions closely, with cloudy to partly cloudy skies reported on Sunday morning.