Shimla, Jul 7 (PTI): A cloudburst was reported in the high hills of Garsa Shilanala in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district on Tuesday, though no loss of life has been reported so far, officials said.
Due to the sudden cloudburst, the water level in the Garsa Khad rose sharply.
According to sources, one or two culverts/bridges built over the khad (drain) were washed away in the flash flood triggered by the cloudburst Panic has gripped people living along the banks of the khad, with the authorities asking the residents to remain vigilant, the sources said.
Light to moderate rain persisted over most parts of Himachal on Tuesday, with the meteorological centre here predicting a wet spell in the state till July 13.
The weather department has advised people to follow traffic advisories, avoid the vulnerable areas and keep a safe distance from water bodies susceptible to flash flooding.
Guler in Kangra district received 45.6 mm of rainfall since Monday evening, followed by Sarahan (34.5 mm), Sundernagar (31.2 mm), Nadaun (22.8 mm), Sujanpur Tira (21.4 mm), Nahan (18.9 mm), Kahu (18.2 mm), Bhabanagar (17.2 mm), and Shimla (13 mm).
Thunderstorms lashed Shimla, Jubberhatti, Bhuntar, Murari Devi and Sundernagar, the weather office said.
To tackle torrential rain and related hazards, the public works department (PWD) has deployed 11,137 beldars and 4,228 multi-task workers across the state to restore road connectivity wherever disrupted, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said on Tuesday.
In addition, 1,156 PWD and private heavy machines, including earthmovers, bulldozers, robotic equipment and tippers, have been positioned for round-the-clock road restoration works.
Six Bailey bridges have also been built for emergency use.
The minister also directed that the tendering process be expedited to ensure the availability of additional private machinery whenever required.
Singh issued instructions to ensure uninterrupted road connectivity to essential facilities such as hospitals, police stations, educational institutions, fire stations, pumping units and power installations, identify the vulnerable roads, bridges and landslide-prone locations, and monitor them closely during the monsoon season.
Himachal received 54.7 mm of rainfall between July 1 and 7 against a normal of 43.4 mm, recording an excess of 26 per cent, officials said.
Kinnaur district received 161 per cent excess rain, while Lahaul-Spiti registered 40 per cent surplus.
Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti was the coldest at night with a low of 10.2 degrees Celsius, while Neri in Hamirpur district was the hottest at 35.4 degrees Celsius. PTI BPL COR ARI
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
