Over 1,500 homes destroyed in Himachal as heavy monsoon wreaks havoc

Heavy monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have destroyed over 1,500 homes and partially damaged 6,503 others, killing 417 people. With losses exceeding Rs 4,500 crore, landslides, floods and road blockages continue to disrupt normal life across the hill state.

Shimla: Monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh has rendered more than 1,500 families homeless since its onset on June 20 as the State recorded an average rainfall of 1010.9 mm this time, 46 per cent more than the normal of 692.1 mm.

The Himalayan state witnessed 46 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods and 145 major landslides, while 417 people have died. Of those dead, 231 lost their lives in rain-related incidents and 181 in road accidents. About 477 people have suffered injuries, while 45 are still missing.

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According to the state emergency operation centre data, 1,502 houses were fully damaged while 6,503 suffered partial damage as the state suffered losses to the tune of Rs 4582 crore so far.

The public works department was the worst hit with losses amounting to Rs 2803 crore, followed by the Jal Shakti department, which lost Rs 1,405 crore.

Frequent natural disasters have made life in the hill state uncertain, and an uneasy calm prevails among the residents who are fighting to restore normalcy.

On Tuesday evening, as many as 655 roads, including stretches of three National Highways, were closed in the state, and 924 power transformers and 243 water supply schemes were disrupted.