Himachal Cloudburst: The grim turn of events was when Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were hit by a disastrous cloudburst followed by strong flash floods. According to information, 15 people have died in Uttarakhand and 8 in Himachal Pradesh. The cloudburst, in the night of 31st July and 1st August has caused havoc, where more than sixty houses are reported to be washed away, and a number of villages are badly affected.
Extensive Damage Reported in Cloudburst-Affected Areas
The Special Secretary of the DDMA, DC Rana, detailed the damage and stated that the cloudburst areas include Samej and Rampur in Shimla district, Baghipul in Kullu, and Paddar in Mandi. “A cloudburst in these areas has led to wide-scale destruction. We have recovered six bodies, and 53 people are still missing,” DC Rana informed news agency ANI.
Teams from NDRF and SDRF have been involved vigorously in the rescue operations of the crisis. The cloudburst caused immense infrastructural damage; the most disastrous being the washing away of a vital road connecting Rampur and Samej. The army of India constructed a temporary bridge to aid rescue efforts.
Mandi and Kullu Hit Hardest
According to a situation report of the Himachal Pradesh State Emergency Operation Centre, Mandi suffered the maximum casualties with five deaths, while Kullu reported one fatality. Shimla has been saved from any casualties so far, but it reported the maximum 33 missing persons. Nine persons were missing in Kullu and six in Mandi. Fifty-five persons have been evacuated to relief camps, and 25 remain stranded. The totally damaged house was 61, while 42 others were partially damaged. Kullu was the worst-hit district.
The Himachal Deputy Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, did an on-the-spot inspection of the Kurpan Khad Water Supply Scheme at Baagi Pul, a Rs 315 crore project which bore the brunt of the flood. Agnihotri directed the departments concerned to undertake urgent measures to restore the project and mitigate further impacts.
The extent of disaster comes to the fore even as rescue and restoration operations continue unabated, thus realizing what the enormity of the need is in terms of comprehensive disaster management, with stringent support to the affected communities.
