Produced by: Hitansh Gaur
Ever since the onset of monsoon on June 24, lives of people in Himachal Pradesh have been paralyzed by the sudden landslides and flash floods. The floods have left many homeless while some even lost their lives.
According to Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, the number of houses damaged stood at 572 while the number of partially damaged houses were 4,703. The floods have also damaged 148 shops and 1,286 cowsheds. The state government estimated the losses to be approximately Rs 8,000 crore, as per PTI.
One user named ‘Lost in Paradise’ posted a video on Twitter of a hotel being completely swept by the strong currents of Beas river in Manali. The building just completely collapsed and fell into the river.
Satellite images show how the sudden surge in river levels have washed away a significant portion of roads in Kullu. The bridge near Patlikuhal in Kullu has also been damaged as per the satellite images taken on July 12 by the US-based space firm Maxar Technologies.
Another video posted on Twitter shows that Chaba bridge in Shimla has also been washed away by the increasing water levels of Sutlej river.
Manali has also seen severe damage as a significant part of National Highway 21 has been washed away by the strong current of Beas river. The bridge near Jagatsukh area of the city has also been damaged, Jagatsukh is famous for its riverside tourist destinations. The road near the Manali Bus Depot has also been damaged and the repair work is on, as per satellite images on July 17.
Himachal minister Jagat Singh Negi has revealed that 130 people have lost their lives till now due to flash floods, landslides and road accidents caused by the severe rain. 12 people have been reported as missing while 153 others have been injured.
The new Kullu Manali highway has also seen a number of landslides disrupting the traffic. A viral video on social media shows a narrow escape for people cleaning up the highway when suddenly rocks start falling from above. The person in a vehicle is seen jumping out mere seconds before it was hit by a giant rock.
The hilly state has reported 61 cases of landslides and 44 cases of flash floods. The Centre has also sent two teams to take stock of the damage caused so far. One team is visiting the Kullu-Manali region while the other team is in the Solan region. After their three days assessment (July 19 to July 21), both teams will meet Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.