NEW DELHI: The monsoon devastation in Himachal Pradesh has claimed 427 lives between June 20 and September 20, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Of these, 243 deaths were caused by rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, drowning and lightning, while 184 fatalities occurred in road accidents during the same period. Public infrastructure across the hill state has suffered massive damage. As of Thursday morning, 394 roads, including two national highways (NH-03 and NH-503A), remain blocked. Power supply has also been hit, with 73 distribution transformers (DTRs) disrupted, while 174 drinking water schemes are non-functional, affecting both rural and urban households. District-wise, Mandi has the highest road blockages (140), followed by Kullu (109) and Kangra (38). Power outages are most acute in Mandi with 11 transformers out of service. Water supply has been severely impacted in Mandi (105 schemes), Shimla (28) and Solan (10). The SDMA report also recorded 1,708 injuries, 481 animal deaths, and extensive damage to homes and livelihoods. A total of 2,287 houses, 4,908 cowsheds, 584 shops/factories, 58 labour sheds and 7,048 other small structures were damaged or destroyed. Of these, 651 houses were fully destroyed while 1,012 were partially damaged. Agriculture and horticulture losses have been staggering, with crops worth Rs 2,90,383.8 lakh and orchards worth Rs 1,45,771.9 lakh damaged. Public property loss has crossed Rs 4,75,451 lakh, impacting roads, schools, power lines, water schemes, and health centres. Officials said incessant heavy rainfall has triggered widespread landslides, road cave-ins, power supply failures and breakdown of drinking water facilities. Restoration work is underway but continues to face hurdles in interior regions, especially Kullu, Mandi and Shimla, where unstable slopes and recurring landslides are delaying clearance efforts. This year’s monsoon is being described as one of the deadliest in Himachal Pradesh in recent memory, with extensive human casualties, large-scale displacement and catastrophic damage to infrastructure. Go to Source
