Wednesday night’s unrelenting rainstorm left Himachal Pradesh reeling from the fury of the natural world. Cloudbursts unleashed their fury on the top parts of Shimla, Kullu, and Mandi districts, resulting in extensive destruction. There was mayhem and sadness wherever there was a path of destroyed homes.
A dire situation resulted from the cloudbursts, which caused flash floods in the districts of Shimla, Mandi, and Kullu. Three bodies have been found thus far, out of the approximately 52 people who have been reported missing. The breakdown is equally upsetting: there are nine missing persons in Mandi, seven in Kullu, and 35 in Shimla. The base camp for the Shrikhand pilgrimage in Kullu’s Jaon and Nirmand districts has been badly damaged. The Rampur region of the Shimla district, notably Jhakhri, is seeing the greatest effects of the administration’s massive relief and rescue operations in the flood-affected districts. There are currently 36 individuals missing as a result of landslides and flooding.
An enhanced rescue operation is underway in Jhakhri due to severe floods that were made worse by a cloudburst near a hydroelectric plant on the Samej Khad. Around-the-clock, teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and fire services are at work. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap from Shimla is present and in charge of the rescue operations. Two people who were stranded in the flood were rescued, according to the administration, and two bodies were also found. 36 missing residents, including women and children, are still being looked for.
The Thaltukhod area of Drang Assembly Constituency in Mandi district was hardest hit by the disaster; nine individuals from three households were reported missing. Tragically, a 75-year-old woman passed away. The Padhar subdivision’s schools and educational facilities are closed for the day, according to Mandi DC Apoorva Devgan. Thirty-five people have been saved by rescue teams, and the Air Force has been notified of possible rescue flights.
Heavy rains have also caused significant damage in the Kullu district. A cloudburst near Nirmand caused the demolition of two bridges, including one that was under construction, according to Kullu DC S. Ravish. In addition, seven people are still unaccounted for, and eight to nine dwellings were wiped away. Teams of rescue and relief workers are looking for the missing people nonstop.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state chief minister, is personally supervising the relief and rescue efforts. He gave his word that relief, search, and rescue operations are being actively worked on by teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, home guards, and fire services. Assuring seamless and effective operations is the mandate of the local administration, and the state government is determined to offer all necessary support. The Chief Minister intends to take a helicopter from Shimla to the impacted districts in order to visit the victims and assess the rescue operations.
During their conversation, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed Chief Minister Sukhu of the central government’s willingness to help, including the deployment of the NDRF for relief efforts. J.P. Nadda, the federal minister, also conveyed his regret for the significant harm inflicted by the cloudbursts and gave the chief minister the assurance that the central government would stand by him.
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla conveyed his profound grief for the deaths and property damage in the districts of Mandi, Kullu, and Shimla. He made contact with the district commissioners in the impacted areas, imploring them to guarantee that the rescue efforts continue and to offer the victims prompt help. The teams from the NDRF and SDRF are putting in endless effort to find the missing people and help those in need.